Queen of Souls
by Soul Hunter
Summary: PROLOGUE -- Quisty forced by a prophecy on a solo (well, not quite) adventure to battle an ancient curse. And the prophecy suggested that she might not survive the battle. Action, with a little bit of romance ^_^
1. Prologue

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

**_"The Queen is dead. Long Live Quistis Trepe!"_**

**Author's Note**: Just wanna thank my good friend, Astarte, for letting me build this story on her excellent Quisty short fic "Queen's Glass" (in italics). The excellence of her work accounts for so much to the conception and eventual completion of mine. Thanks, Ruth ^_^

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Prologue

I'm staring at the mirror again. Whenever I see one, the same peculiar thought strikes me. Do mirrors lie? Do they show you the truth or only deceit? When I look in the mirror, I'm always struck by how wrong the reflection seems. The woman that glances back at me wears the same pink outfit I do and has those same blue eyes and golden hair but that is not me. Mirrors reflect a warrior to be feared, a deadly force to be reckoned with. The woman behind the glass is haughty, icy cold and utterly professional. 

The shadow cast by the silvery moon against the lonely stone pillar was more than adequate to conceal the shape of the predator. His feet were like feathers, complementing his obscured form with a movement that made no sound. His deft steps were as sure and steady, traversing every wire and every narrow beam with such nimble mastery, as if the gauntlets were solid ground. His stealthy maneuvers enabled him to travel the otherwise guarded length of the sparkling marble hallway leading from the gate to the edifice housing the dormitories. And coupled with the ongoing festivities, there was absolutely no way for anyone to detect his presence.

I know I'm not her, that woman on the other side of the mirror. _She is a conqueror of worlds, an empress that strikes terror in her enemies. Wherever she walks, the adoring masses follow in blind devotion. Her merest whims are their fondest wish to fulfill. She is a queen of queens, a goddess of beauty and death, and a ruthless hunter of man. She is someone that mere mortals cower in fear of. She is too human to be a god, too much the god to ever be human. _

His objective was clear in his mind. Bypassing the main hallway, the darkened intruder instead crept inside an air duct. Seemingly sure of his goal, the incognito figure proceeded with nary a semblance of caution, going from one corner and branch to the other inside the small, metal channels of the ventilation ducts. He was aided merely by two small flashlights each attached along the temples of his pitch-black helmet. In one of his hands, he held a small device whose display screen was showing some form of coordinates. And soon, he was right beside his objective. Through the ventilation panel in front of him, he can see her clearly.

How could anyone possibly be like the woman in the glass that's watching me with such disdain? This is a superhuman creature, a demigod that conquered both time and sorcery; me, I'm just a normal human being. I'm a seventeen-year-old teenager who happens to be a SeeD and an instructor. The image that looks back at me with such supreme confidence frightens and repels me. She's as awful as she is angelic. She's an archetypical expression of everything that a woman can be. I don't want to be anybody's archetype; I just want to be human. I want companionship, not groveling worshippers. I want to be a person, not a queen.

A shade of doubt momentarily permeated his mind. Could he be doing the right thing in invading this nest of young warriors? Was this course of action he undertook a wise decision or an exercise in foolhardiness? As he stared at this woman standing in front of a mirror, he questioned himself vehemently. She appeared to be possessed of serious uncertainty. How could the voices of future wisdom single her out as the chosen one?

I can almost hear her laughing at me. The queen that watches me from behind the glass would never have had so much bad luck as I. She would never permit it, nor could it happen to that so-perfect creature. She could have handled Seifer easily, guiding him in the right direction. She would have known exactly what to do and say to make Squall fall in love with her. She could have saved both Seifer and Squall from themselves. She could have thawed their frozen hearts.

But as his gaze lingered, a gnawing anxiety suddenly gripped his heart. He searched himself, furiously sought answers for the apprehension crawling into his being. He then resumed his chore of carefully scrutinizing his target.

And for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw _her_. Not the woman in front of the mirror. But the one who occupied a distant memory.

This is not good, he thought. How could this mercenary spawn the recollection of his past pain?

Again, the queen behind the mirror sneers at me. Where I am weak, she is strong. Where I hesitate, she leaps into action. Where I make mistakes, she makes none. Pathetic, she seems to laugh derisively, pathetic and feeble. Looking at her I realize that however much I want to be strong and courageous, she's too frightening for me to want to be like her. She's too inhumanly perfect, too much like Hyne. Hyne had no compassion for human beings either. They are both too high above mortals to see them as anything other than insects.

His eyes traveled the length of her stately form. From head to feet, he observed her. Unwittingly, the purpose of his task became lost in the midst of a foreign cognizance that brought him much alarm. It is true what he heard.

So why is it that I see her whenever I look in the mirror? I know that I'm nothing like that and yet there she always is, looking back at me through the mirror. Why does she haunt me from behind every piece of silvered glass? Who are you, Queen of Queens? Your titles are endless: Empress, goddess, queen, warrior, savior, lover, devil and saint. You aren't me. Who are you?

Within his limited circle, he has heard so much of the renown surrounding this woman. This instructor, the pride and joy of the fabled military academy, Balamb Garden. He had taken the information then with a grain of salt. A collection of data that maybe relevant or irrelevant to the task in his hand the mission he was born to accomplish. He had not cared much of the hearsay, outside of its necessity to his work. Another iconic heartthrob, he had said then, placed on a pedestal by shallow-minded youngsters. One who barely required his undivided attention until such a time arose when he would deem such attention needed.

Could it be that you are nothing more than the world's image of who I am? Am I that very intimidating? I'm not a deity; I am not you. I'm a young woman that wants to be loved. I'm someone who wants to hear my name spoken in loving tenor tones. I want to be held not feared. I want to be swept off my feet by a knight in shining white armour. I want to be romanced like any other girl my age.

She continued to stare at herself in the mirror, though her mind seemed utterly distant. He asked, what could she be pondering about?

But he knew that such a question was merely a flimsy excuse to stray his mind from the more pressing matter at hand. He felt his concentration waver, his focus unexpectedly swayed. He knew he had to keep an objective mind frame if he wishes to continue on with the task. But for some reason, this girl perturbed him.

So perhaps mirrors don't lie after all. Sometimes it's just not easy to see what they're trying to tell you. I must seem so very unapproachable to others. It seems strange that they might be seeing her when they look at me. I've always tried to hard to be professional and dignified, trying to live up to everyone's expectations of me. Talented, they called me, demanding far more than should ever be expected. Somehow, I have become everyone's image of the warrior goddess. I am the queen then, the one who stares at me from every mirrored surface.

I don't want to be her, even if she is the ideal SeeD, but I can't be my friends either. I can't wear my heart on my sleeve like Rinoa and Selphie's perpetual cheer is simply never been a part of me. I'll have to find my own way, some new path that lies between the queen in the glass and insecure me.

He wasn't fooling anyone, let alone himself. He knew that she was directly affecting him. He was aware of her role in this sudden disquietude threatening to overcome him. As he continued to gaze at her, he couldn't help but note her angelic face her statuesque figure her soft, straight hair. He couldn't avoid deriving pleasure from watching her move forward and backward. With a demure and wispy demeanor so alluring it totally captivated his mind much to his utter surprise.

He thought he had already done away with this infirmity.

Looking back at the mirror, staring my nemesis in the eyes, I disarm her. Soft yellow hair tumbles down past our shoulders and fingertips rummage through that gold, eradicating some of that harsh perfection. Off come the gloves that separate me from human contact, stripping her of even more power. The pink warrior's garb is next, pulled off and deliberately scrunched up into a ball; a parting kick is all it deserves.

In its place I wear a pair of cutoff denim shorts and a little black lace-up camisole. The shorts are really too short and the camisole top is slightly more daring than I'm used to but for once in my life I don't care. Every girl wants to feel sexy at least once in her life and right now I really want to feel attractive again. A pair of sandals and a little gold chain with a rhinestone heart is the finishing touch.

He slapped a hand against his eyes, groaning in exasperation at what he saw. Why did she have to do this? Slowly, he came to a recognition of the circumstance transmogrifying around him. He didn't want to admit it, and in fairness to him, this wasn't really his true intent. But for the moment, he felt a tinge of shame for having been relegated to a voyeur.

It had always been against the way he was raised. But for some reason, he just couldn't resist the urge. Slowly, the intruder removed the gloved hands covering the blackened visor on his helmet, giving his eyes unhindered access to this glaring display of unimaginable beauty. Of course, this wasn't the first time for him to behold a naked woman. And that was why he can't understand the unusual eagerness, the steamy excitement overwhelming him as the shapely form of the instructor slowly became revealed with each article of clothing she slipped off from her body.

He thought he skipped at least a dozen heartbeats when she didn't spare a single inch from exposure. And the intruder could only thank the deities when his target proceeded to replace the ones she took off with a less conservative array. It was still too revealing for his taste but it was definitely better than nothing. He wasn't sure if he'd been able to restrain himself otherwise.

I hold the whip in my hand, wondering what to do with it. It's my weapon, an extension of my own hand but glancing up at the mirror I realize that it's hers as well. I let it slowly slither from my grip, suddenly not interested in it at all. Perhaps tomorrow I'll reclaim it but right now all I want is to be me and not her.

I look up into the mirror and smile. She's gone, at long last all I see is a pretty young woman named Quistis, not the warrior goddess. I'm here with all my imperfections and mistakes and flaws. I'm actually happy for the first time in a while.

His legs buckled under the unwelcome pressure when the instructor finally walked out of the room. As he panted heavily, the intruder pondered on the method he will be employing to fulfill the task. He scowled, this wasn't one of the scenarios he had prepared himself against. He had always thought himself a true professional, having been trained for his preordained trade since his legs grew strong enough to walk. He had advanced much in age and experience. And reconnaissance missions like this should be a walk in the park for someone of his caliber.

But he never expected to encounter someone of **her** caliber.

This mission is not going to be easy.

**End of Prologue**


	2. Chapter 1

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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Chapter One

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four months later

The myriad of eyes gawked at him as if he was the only reason this day was created. With that shining armor wrapped around his torso and the magnificent cape fluttering mightily from his back, he struck a majestic sight that took them with awe. And in a small village of simple farmers and housewives whose lives lacked the color of adventure, the presence of this man with the proud smile was already a spectacle for them. They sighed in admiration and swooned in fascination, wondering who this stranger was that chose to grace their little town with his resplendence.

His smile widened, as if basking in the pride of the moment. He wandered his eyes around and beheld the surroundings filled with men getting ready to take on the soil, women toiling after their hardworking husbands, and children squealing in delight at the start of another day of seemingly endless playtime. With a simple bow of his head, he made a young maiden blush in excitement. He walked up to her and gently pulled one blossom from the bouquet she held in her fragile hands. He smelled the flower and marveled at its fresh aroma, then caressed her face with its soft petals.

She was still gushing with the thrill of the moment when he turned his back at her. Training his eyes once more to the multitude, he waved at them like a sincere politician, and even bolstered that image with a hand gently landing on the head of a toddler who came close to him while towing his tin can car behind. He ruffled the child's blonde hair with his thick fingers, bringing the small one to a gurgling giggle.

The fingers then clamped down hard on the small head. Without much effort, the armored visitor flung the child against the wall of a decrepit house. With a loud crack, the young boy's head shattered in the impact, and his tender neck snapped like a twig.

The eyes of admiration were instantly replaced with eyes of horror. One woman's scream dominated the horrendous moment as the young mother of the child rushed to her son's side. It was all for naught. He was already dead.

And the visitor continued to smile.

"Do not fear." His deep voice bellowed. "I mean you no harm."

He raised both his hands in the air, as if in total surrender. And those same hands began to smolder.

"I mean you freedom from your miserable lives."

A sudden flash of white light burst out from the raised hands and instantly engulfed the small village with its blinding brilliance. The moment was bereft with sound, totally silent in its cruelty. He allowed no one the moment to let out a scream.

A fraction of a second later, the visitor stood in the midst of ashes and charred skeletons.

His revelry was short lived, however. Soon after the carnage, the still air became replete with metallic reverberations and howls of strained engines. He looked behind him, eyes gleaming with a red glow as it beheld the sight of a squadron of soldiers clad in shimmering silver, cyan and jade green. 

For a moment, his face assumed a mild scowl, but it was instantly replaced by an entertained smirk. He watched nonchalantly as the squad of Estharian soldiers dismount their armored vehicles and surrounded him with their guns and swords. Behind the troops, a dozen hovering tanks aimed their humongous cannons toward him.

"Don't you blasted move!!!" Ordered the commander in a frantic shout. "One twitch of your fingers and we'll be forced to open fire!"

He simply waved his hand at the threat that he deemed empty.

"More warriors. More pretenders."

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Her face was a mixture of sadness and amusement as she watched the students gear up for the countdown. Quistis wondered about her decision, pondering intently at the prospect that she might just be proceeding hastily on this. She knew it was going to be a huge step, bigger than anything she had taken before. And as her eyes observed the Garden populace preparing for the final second of the year, she can't help but bite her lips slightly. She will definitely miss all of this.

A hollow nibble in her midsection ultimately told her that she had no other choice.

"My fault I have to live with it." She murmured to herself.

High above her, a silent shadow hung amidst the dark crevices of the Garden edifice. Momentarily checking the pressure gauge of his adhesion cups, the intruder then watched as Quistis was approached and then led away by another SeeD member whom he cross-checked to be the veteran mercenary, Xu Kirishima: senior SeeD cadet and the instructor's long time friend and field partner.

He felt a struggle inside his mind. Having afforded himself some time to gather his thoughts, the caliginous observer realized it wasn't nearly enough to clear his head. As he peered at her graceful form from his telescopic visor, he remembered that same figure he laid eyes on a couple of months previous. That same body then bereft of the protection of clothes. His mind wandered back at the moment of aroused curiosity when he violated her privacy with his sinful eyes. He had wondered then how it would feel to have that body pressing against his own. What kind of ecstasy is offered anyone fortunate enough to lay claim to her capitulation?

If he can have it his way, he would have just opted to keep his distance from her. But recently transpired events demanded him to take action.

"Dammit!" He mumbled at himself as he exerted effort to regain his focus. Flexing the wiry muscles of his right arm to secure his dangling position, he used his left hand to reach into his utility belt and produced a miniature sound amplifier after making sure that his audio receptors are in place. The intruder then calibrated the instrument to a specific wave reading, making sure that it will only pick up the sounds he needed to hear. He then pointed the amplifier toward the direction where Quistis and Xu walked.

"Quisty, lighten up. We only have a minute to go so I suggest you leave behind whatever it is that's eating you."

"Nothing's 'eating' me, Xu. Do you always have to be so sensitive to my behavior?"

"Yeah, sure. Tell that to someone who didn't spend four hundred hours with you in field exercises. Chill, girl friend! And ready yourself because Selphie and Rinoa are not gonna give you an inch."

"Goodness why did I ever put up with that?"

What the hell were they talking about?

Why is he even bothering on the amplifiers? His mission didn't provide for related parameters. The dark figure sighed. He knew exactly why he was using the amplifiers.

He just wanted to hear her voice.

Not again

The reverberating sound of unified voices counting down with the clock suddenly brought him back to attention. He grew frantic. If he doesn't move fast, the light from the fireworks will banish the concealment of shadows he had and effectively expose his position. He had to go now before the clock ultimately strikes

"Three Two One HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!"

Jubilant howls and hoots rang out to complement the spectacular fireworks display banishing the night sky, as everyone congregated in the middle of the quad area to wish each other the best of the coming year. He watched the celebration, with a tinge of envy streaking down his chest. He didn't want to admit it but he missed the warmth of camaraderie. How long has it been since he last enjoyed the company of his friends?

His long gone friends

Clenching fists echoed crackling sounds as the incognito reaffirmed his vow for revenge. 

His indignant eyes then turned back to Quistis, and softened their glare in the process. Again, he felt the ugly slice of jealously in his heart. Down below, a long line of wide-eyed gentlemen who at the moment had been relegated to mere boys were milling around the popular instructor to wait their turn at the customary New Year's kiss. How he wished he could just descend from his hidden perch and join them. Or better yet, he wished he could just make them all go away so he can have her to himself

What in the world was he thinking? 

In spite of her hidden burden, Quistis can't help but smile at the proceedings. Everywhere she turned, there's always at least one male student waiting to get his share of her attention. Yes, it is age-old custom, and it was supposedly just a simple gesture of good cheer to convey the wish of a bright year ahead. But she knew that most of the guys think little of good cheer whenever they go after their female counterparts for that much coveted lip lock. She really can't say she blamed them. There was a time when she too had an ulterior motive for standing beside a former teacher of hers before the clock struck twelve at this very same day a couple of years ago.

"Instructor!"

Quistis turned, and was welcomed by the warm lips of a popular 1st Class MG. She didn't know what to think when his kiss lingered longer than usual.

"Jerico!" She gasped when the student finally let go of her. "Don't you think that's a tad overdoing it?"

"Heh! New Year comes only once a year, Miss Trepe. Might as well make the most of it!"

Quistis chuckled as she watched the aggressive lad walk toward Iris Deen. There's a guy who knew exactly what he wants and how to get it. In a way, she somewhat wished that she could have the same attitude. The instructor was pondering on these thoughts when somebody bumped her from behind. When Quistis turned around, she was dumbfounded at the sight of the SeeD commander.

"Squall"

"Q-Quisty" He muttered back. 

Both felt awkward in the midst of each other's presence. Both remembered the friction that went between them as a result of that hazy night in a hotel in Balamb two months ago[color=red]1[/color]. And both felt a sense of frightful thrill. If anything, this occasion has made it permissible for them to share an intimate moment. 

But for some reason, fear dominated over thrill. Quistis and Squall hesitated, then kissed each other on the cheeks.

"Happy New Year" He whispered. "I wish all the best for you Instructor"

"Thanks" Was all she could manage to say. Hearing him call her 'Instructor' instead of the nickname that she had been accustomed to hearing from him hurt her. When he turned away, she lashed at herself for wanting something she could never get.

"Some things will never change" She muttered. 

Quistis turned around as well, and then caught sight of Zell and Selphie as they unknowingly approached each other. As she stood in observation, she noted how surprised the two were when they faced one another. Much like she and Squall were. But unlike them, Selphie and Zell simply turned away from each other. The hurt in their faces was very evident. She twisted her head slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. Irvine and Iris were nowhere near them.

"Oh man" Quistis mumbled in frustration. Why is everything happening at the same time?

Selphie was still looking a bit bitter when she approached.

"So shall we?" The Trabian lass quipped, striving to change her facial cast.

Quistis smiled to pretend that she didn't know anything about them. "Yeah. Let's. Where's Rinny and Rowan?"

"We're here!" Echoed a young male voice. The pair turned to see a smirking Rinoa and a scowling Rowan King, the youngest 1st Class MG in Balamb Garden history. "Hurry up, I'm late for my card game with the guys."

"Well excuse me, Rowan." Rinoa countered. "How old are you?"

"I'll be fourteen in October."

"Don't you think you're a tad too young for Triple Triad?"

"But I wanna get my MiniMog card back!"

"Ah, never mind that." Quistis interrupted. "So what's the score, Rowan?"

"Hmm?" The boy dallied, as if teasing the three. "Ms. Trepe won."

"Ohh" Rinoa groaned. Selphie simply pouted. "By how many?"

"Miss Trepe got 36, and you two tied at 29." He quickly returned. "Can I go now?"

He didn't wait for the trio's approval and immediately ran off. Rinoa then pulled her two friends to an isolated corner.

"So who's the best kisser, you two?"

"What?" Quistis shot back.

"Who's the best kisser?"

"How about you?" Selphie said in tossing the question back to Rinoa. Her face reddened abruptly as she giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Aside from Squall? Well it's gotta be Daryll."

"For me it's Jojo." Selphie quipped. "How about you, Quisty?"

"Me? Oh" Quistis trailed off. "I'm I'm not telling."

The pair whined incessantly, frustrated at their friend's refusal to share her experience. "Oh come on, Quisty. Tell us!"

"No."

"Quistis!" Selphie blurted out. "We saw you smooching with most of the certified hunks in Garden. I mean, there were Parjay, Jerico, Sindai, Eliar, Archimedes, Xerxes, Red, Rifty, Fletcher, Barto, Raven, Leo, Therren, Milly, Blade, Larry, Gonzzie, Rellick, Foz, Ghaleon, Marcus, Sage I mean, practically everybody who's anybody in this school fell in line for you. And you're not going to tell us anything?"

"Nope."

"You are so unfair, Quisty." Rinoa furthered. "I'm gonna tell Xu on you"

"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please."

Their playful argument was interrupted by the voice echoing from the intercom. Everyone in the party paused upon recognizing Cid Kramer's voice.

"I know you're all having a great time tonight, and I truly wish I could join you. But unfortunately, we still have a job to do. And some of you people need to report to my office right now."

"Wonder what it's about" The Galbadian princess murmured. Quistis and Selphie simply shrugged.

"The following please drop what you're doing and come up here at once: Leonhart, Trepe, Dincht, Heartilly, Tilmitt, Kinneas, and Almasy. That would be all. Everyone else, carry on please."

Quistis wandered her gaze around, and saw Seifer looking back at her as he began for the hallway.

**End of Chapter One**


	3. Chapter 2

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Two**

The Esthar War Council used to argue heatedly with the members of the Science Tribunal regarding the restoration of Lunarside Base, the space-bound installation destroyed during the last Lunar Cry that freed the tyrant sorceress, Adel Van Thaylo. Internal politics advocated that the technology used to setup the roving space station can be used for other purposes aside from the imprisonment of the late despot. And while both sectors agreed to the concept, they fought bitterly against each other to get the upper hand as far as budget allocation is concerned.

In the end, the Science Tribunal won out due in no small part to President Laguna Loire's intervention. Despite the fact that he used to be a soldier, the Esthar sovereign felt it more beneficial for the expensive technology to be utilized for the purpose of positive research. Besides, he had never been one to promote the use of advanced technology for warfare. It's bad enough that they already have high-tech weaponry at their disposal: those developed during Sorceress Adel's regime. Worse, he was aware of clandestine transactions the War Council conduct with some private companies to develop more advanced weapons. And sometimes, these secret dealings had led to nigh-catastrophic results.

One glaring example was the incident involving a demented Dollet businessman, Ulyard Earl Kipman, who used his Estharian connections to sneak in a bomb that was meant to destroy Tears Point and kill all the diplomats in a recently concluded peace summit *. If it hadn't been for those scheming military generals whom Laguna consider to be the necessary evils in his ranks that he just can't do away with, that incident would never have been made possible. Good thing there were Balamb Garden and SeeD to save the day.

So for the simple reason of insulting the War Council, Laguna turned over half the control of the Estharian satellite project to Cid Kramer of Balamb Garden. Together with the generally benevolent constituents of the Esthar Science Tribunal, Headmaster Kramer had been making sure that the technology was being put to good use only. And today, he was reaping the benefits of his labor.

Though in a morbid manner of speaking.

The experimental orbiting surveillance probe shots displayed on the Balamb Garden Strategy Room monitor spoke out unspeakable horror, showing the carnage that took place in a remote Centran location merely a few days previous. The seven young warriors expressed varied forms of reaction upon beholding the ghastly sight. Before them, a huge picture of slaughtered Estharian soldiers glared dreadfully.

"Oh gross" Selphie uttered. "What happened to them?"

"Ewwww" followed Rinoa.

"It looks like they've been gutted like fishes." Irvine groaned.

"What could have done this?" Zell shot out.

"That, my young progenies," Cid Kramer began, "is what we need to find out."

He leisurely flicked the switch of the monitor to turn it off, automatically activating the soft lights of the Strategy Room's main pilots. Cid looked around, noting the perturbed expressions of the seven. He focused on Seifer's silent form and wondered if there's anything in this world capable of disturbing his seemingly indifferent mind.

"You're awfully quiet, Seifer."

The young Almasy didn't respond, though he noticed Squall and Quistis simultaneously turning their eyes at him.

"Two hours ago, I received a call from Kiros in Esthar, and he told me about the trail of genocide that started in a small fishing village of Romna, near the old orphanage in Centra our old home." The Headmaster started anew. "Fortunately, Edea ordered Gem and the other White SeeDs to vacate the premises prior to the first spotting of this unusual and rather gruesome event. Or else I shudder to think what might have happened to them had they remained there."

"Why, Headmaster? You have an idea what's doing this?" Inquired Quistis.

"No, I don't. And neither do our allies. Perhaps the only intel report that we have on this is the terrible fates that befell those who were in its path whatever it is."

Cid activated the monitor screen once more, this time displaying a more detailed picture of the massacre.

"As you can see, this entity or entities didn't intend to take prisoners. The soldiers were not merely killed. They were slaughtered. And" He paused briefly. "Notice the ashes and the blackened matter littered all over the place?"

"Uh-huh" Echoed Irvine.

"Those black lumps were once people. Murdered burnt to a crisp."

"My goodness!" The instructor bellowed. "Are you saying that it was a monster of some sort that did this?"

"Or a Weapon." Zell suggested. "A new one. No one could possibly be more ferocious than that."

"It could be anything, ladies and gentlemen. Esthar intel had been laboring to find out the identity of the perpetrator. But so far everything and everyone they sent out to intercept it was either found dead, destroyed, or lost altogether. And judging from the situation, I think it fitting to assess this as a class A threat. That's why I'm sending the seven of you." He paused again, tossing a brief glance at Seifer. "You are my best soldiers, and I can't think of anyone more suited to do the job."

"Well, Weapon or not, whatever it is is definitely toast, right guys?" Irvine proudly declared. But his confident smirk was quickly wiped out when everyone hurled a wry look at him. " Uhh right"

Rinoa giggled at Irvine's consequently sheepish facade. However, her cheery mood was replaced with discomfort when she noticed Seifer staring at her. She pondered deeply, he had been acting this way since the night they secretly met in the club at Galbadia Hotel a little more than a week ago **. Part of her regretted the words that she told him then, she wasn't exactly adept at hurting people who cared for her. 

However, she knew then, as now, that there can be no gentler way to do what she did. She still felt awkward, always wary about the times when the two of them would come within twenty feet of each other. Until today, Rinoa still didn't know how to deal with the knowledge that Seifer still harbored old feelings for her. And for the umpteenth time, her mind was torn between wishing for circumstances to stay as it is and for them to go back to how they were when she was still sixteen.

But why in the world was she thinking this? Maybe she just felt immensely sorry for Seifer. Or maybe

No it's not possible.

"The first thing that you need to do is follow the trail of blood left behind by this thing." Cid spoke out once more, breaking Rinoa's trance. "No special stealth effects or anything of that sort. Just plain search and destroy. The photos that I showed you was taken from its last known appearance in what used to be a farming town at the northern boundary of Lenown Plains. That is where you're going to start. You leave tomorrow morning for a brief rendezvous with Estharian intelligence officials. So I suggest you all forget about the party and get some rest."

"Ohh" Selphie whined. "And I was gonna finalize the details of the Garden Festival with the committee today"

"Let's go, Sefie. That can wait 'til later." Irvine invited. And as she stood up, Selphie caught Zell looking at her meaningfully. She then shook her head slightly, silently conveying the message that Irvine won't be spending the night with her. Zell nodded before turning away.

"Seifer, a moment of your time please."

He squinted at the Headmaster, half-suspicious about his intent and half-expecting another fairly long lecture on the value of prudence and keeping his attitude at bay in light of this important mission at hand. Cid noticed his reservation, but chose to maintain his composed demeanor.

"I'd appreciate it if you can keep this between the two of us for now."

"What are you talking about, Headmaster?" Seifer returned quizzically. Now he's totally at a loss. Even though it had been quite a while since his misguided act of betrayal, he still didn't think Headmaster Cid to fully take him as trustworthy. For him, the leader of Balamb garden still remained in the list of people least likely to share something with him in confidence. What kind of secret could he be intending to reveal? And why him? Why not Squall or Quistis?

And the sealed envelope that was handed to him aggravated Seifer's bafflement. Taking the envelope from Cid's hands, Seifer stared at him questioningly.

"Open it." Cid ordered.

He complied, slowly forcing his fingers under a gap in the seal. The ripping sound was almost deafening. Could this be an official notice of his expulsion?

Seifer read the note. His eyes glared furiously upon understanding the message.

"Headmaster, you can't be serious" He shot out. "W-Why me?"

----------

Nobody said that spying would be easy. And even though he had been doing this for most of his adult life, the intruder still runs into annoying obstacles once in a while. For instance, he knew that it was going to take extra effort to eavesdrop into the just adjourned meeting the young warriors held with their mentor. The Strategy Room wasn't one of the most accessible locations in Garden. And the task was made more arduous by the room's structure. He was frowning earlier. Unlike in the movies, not all meeting rooms can be reached via a ventilation shaft.

Carefully, he pulled the fiber-optic tube penetrating into the Strategy Room from his present perch at the ceiling of the Garden parking lot situated right below it. Thank the gods for modern electronic surveillance equipment, he said in his mind. The tube, with a micro-camera and another sound amplifier inserted at the tip, didn't have to puncture all the way through the floor of the meeting chamber. When placed near enough an opposing surface, the tiny x-ray emitters in the camera were sufficient to provide a clear picture of the other end of a barrier.

Without abandoning his overhanging position, the intruder switched the small monitor screen in his hand to review the scene he recorded. He stared grimly at the youthful warriors, with their faces bearing a smugness that may have reason if based on their past, outstanding accomplishments. 

The caliginous figure could feel nothing but sullen resignation. Through his mind's eyes, he felt like he was looking at an army of dead men.

----------

Quistis thought Squall would not be happy about this if he knew. She should be sleeping, and yet the churning sensation in her stomach obstinately denied her the rest. And she knew that it wasn't caused by the six glasses of Bouquet Merlott she drank at the party. Lifting her face up, Quistis stared at her pretty yet paling face in the mirror. She has never seen a more pitiful façade.

"Hmph" She scoffed. "Some queen"

Resigned to the inconvenient moment, the instructor just opted to while the night away with a good book. Who knows, it might even let her get the sleep she sorely needed. Walking leisurely toward the mini-library behind the study desk, Quistis traversed her fingers along the row of romance novels at the bottom shelf. She then relented, pulling her hand back in the process.

"Hnn no wonder you're such a lovesick idiot, Quisty." She quipped while turning around. "Do yourself a favor, girlie. Stop doing this to yourself and get rid of those books."

Too late. Just seeing the title of her favorite volume, _Songs of the Skylark_, was enough to remind her of her present heartache. And to think that so many men in Garden see her as the ultimate prize. But why is that, actually? Why is it that among the multitude of deserving men who would give their lives for her, she had to be enamored with the one who wouldn't? What curse is this that was forced into her life, compelling her to long for an affection that can never, ever be.

Except in the land of dreams.

Never mind that night. On the contrary, she knew that for her own good, she had to forget about that night. It only brought her false hopes.

But how can she possibly forget that night? No, she could not. Not now. Not ever

Quistis lifted her bare legs, one at a time, and slowly climbed over the soft bed. For the millionth time in her life, she will force herself into sleep, hoping that her slumbering consciousness will once again bring her into that dreamland. Her head rested on the fluffy pillow, then turned to the side together with her body. This bed was almost the same size as the one in that hotel room, she remembered. And softer. The hum of romantic jazz music softly permeated the room. Music that came from the same radio station where the hotel's pipe-in music was tuned during that night. She had memorized it. At the very least, whenever Quistis wanted to relive that night, she would have something to reenact the atmosphere.

But some things didn't have to be memorized. Some things just have the penchant to remain in her memory even without her trying. She thought she could still smell his cologne.

One night. One blissful, heavenly night. A night that will always be in her heart and mind. Might as well, she thought. It will never happen again anywhere else, anyway.

Curiously, Quistis wondered. How would it feel like to love someone else?

Anyone would do. All she needed was to love someone else.

Maybe the first guy to walk into her room tonight?

"Whoever's destined for me" She began to whisper as a bead trickled down her eyes. " let him come now. At this very moment."

She waited.

She laughed.

She didn't know whether to feel sorry or amused at herself.

"Good night, Quisty." She said to herself. "Tomorrow will be a better day hopefully."

Suddenly, she sat up, feeling another presence in the room. Her eyes then widened, surprised to see a dark silhouette slowly taking shape at the far corner of her quarters. Quistis consequently felt alarmed upon realizing that she wasn't alone. Before her, the shadow grew bigger and closer. And it didn't stop moving until the faint radiance of her overhead night light gave it dimensions. She was utterly taken by astonishment as the intruder took full form in front of her.

Within arms reach, he stopped and stood. Quistis didn't know whether to talk or not, to question the intruder or scream for help. For some reason, her attention was transfixed at his solid figure covered in both shimmering and flat black. She knew she had to do something. But she just can't. 

And despite the black, reflective visor covering his face, she was aware that his eyes were exploring her entire body. She wore a sheer, black camisole with its matching lower article, and nothing else. Her milky white complexion contrasted sharply against the dark threads of that almost see-through fabric. Only a girl who wanted to tease her lover would normally wear something like this.

Quistis was aware of all these things, and she didn't even move to cover her near-nakedness. She didn't even bother to pull up the spaghetti straps that had slid down her smooth shoulders. She just sat there, as if mesmerized, and listened to the sounds of his breath resonating through the shiny, black helmet.

She couldn't figure out why she wished for him to talk. She couldn't understand why she wanted to hear his voice.

But when he did talk, his words chilled her blood.

"You will die. All of you."

**End of Chapter Two**

* As chronicled in _**Tour de Force**_

** This little rendezvous took place in_** True Destiny**_


	4. Chapter 3

**

* * *

**

Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The air was replete with the moist aroma of a coming rain. The winds blew gently, but with enough gust to ruffle the hair that she didn't bother to dry after the short bath she took that early, overcast afternoon. And it was chilly, typical to the moment prior to an impending downpour. Edea looked up, albeit briefly. The gray darkness of the sky contrasted against the undulating green of dancing grass capitulating to the persuasion of the restless air. The winds brushed against her face with consistent coolness, quickly drying up the beads of tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her hands, which had just ceased trembling, groped for those of her husband's. She needed his warmth and his comfort. She needed whatever calm Cid had to offer no matter how remote the prospect may be. Unwittingly, he met her hands behind his back, and gripped on them tightly. He too, was seeking solace in the midst of this sad moment. He tried to smile at her but that smile remained bereft of any real cheer. His heart was too broken, same way as hers was. They both were agonizing in the doleful message Xu's speech was delivering. It was an elegy, a dirge minus the sorrowful melody.

All around them, stifled sobs and echoing sniffles emanated from the denizen of mourners who flocked to a secluded corner of Alcauld Plains to observe the last rites for their fallen comrades. They were all melancholic, sorrowful. Some were even in the verge of hysterics. They can't believe something like this would happen to the best among their ranks. The whistling chimes of the unsettled winds complemented the weeping throes they emitted, as if the world itself was lending its sympathy for their loss.

Behind them, Quistis stood quietly. Her heart was similarly replete with agony. But for some arcane reason, she didn't know why. Though her tears poured out with theirs, she wasn't sure of the reason. Training burdened eyes throughout the surroundings, she noted Squall's silent form in the near distance. Like her, he too displayed deep sadness. And like her, he too was segregated from the group of grieving students and teachers. Beside him stood Rinoa, with that same pasty look. A few paces behind them, Seifer sat sullenly.

Quistis momentarily wondered, what was all this for? And why can't she bring herself to join her friends in grieving for their lost colleagues? Why were they separated form the rest? Why is Selphie staying a score behind the column of pallbearers who lingered at the back of the assembly? Irvine and Zell stood similarly isolated. Why were they keeping their distance?

Slowly, her feet lifted up and took a step. She had stayed in her spot, mourning and weeping, though she didn't know why. She knew they were putting someone to rest, but their identities escaped her awareness. Were they new students? Neophytes who got in too deep and failed to save themselves in a battle? Unnamed peers? Who were they burying today? The questions bombarded her mind as she stepped up front, past the black-garbed students. They seemed unmindful of her, their sorrow must have been immense.

Quistis slithered in between Iris and Marcus to finally gain access to the row of rectangular pits into where seven caskets were being lowered. They were already closed, she can't see anymore who were inside the white, richly adorned wooden boxes. Looking around, she spotted a long, marble plaque that she believed carried the names of the fallen. She was almost afraid to read the inscription.

Her head nearly exploded when she did. 

**To Our Departed Brethren, May You Find Peace In Your Rest**

**Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and Seifer**

**Honor In This World And Beyond**

The searing horror plunged into her heart like cold bullets from a frozen hell. Why was her name inscribed in that stone? Why is Squall's name on there as well? And Rinoa's all of them? This can't be right. It had to be a mistake. They're not dead. They're fully and wholly alive. Why were they being mourned?

Panicking eyes hurled a horrified gaze on her separated comrades, who by then had begun to walk away. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? As if in reply, a shockwave suddenly struck her body. It was strong and powerful, and must have come from an explosion not far from them. Quistis reeled momentarily before noticing that she was the only one affected by the reverberation. Xu continued on her burdened chore, flinging a rose into each of the holes on the ground. Iris continued weeping, while the Balamb Colors carried on with the twenty-one gun salute. Didn't they hear the blast?

But Squall and the others seemed to have heard. She saw them as they ran for the source of the conflagration while preparing their weapons for battle. Even Seifer acted with urgency. Quistis didn't waste time and immediately ran after her colleagues. 

But arcane leading appeared to make her run in circles. She had been scampering for much longer than she expected, but Quistis still can't reach the goal. Momentarily stopping, she tried to gather her senses. It was then that she noticed rustling sounds coming from a nearby grove. Taking that direction, Quistis alternated between running and crouching, fully expecting the enemy to appear from within the cluster of short trees.

"Your concealment is not necessary, fair maiden." A deep and hollow voice rang out. Her spine ran cold when she heard the resonance. It was as if it came from the deepest pits of Hades: cold, monotonous, bereft of any emotional weight. The timbre of the voice itself was enough to introduce her to a frightful wall of doubt. What manner of enemy will she be facing? Was her strength sufficient enough? She didn't know if she was equal to the task.

The wind bellowed a forceful gust, bending branches in utter submission. Quistis became puzzled, it was only now that she noticed the disturbing anomaly. She can't feel the wind.

She felt like a wraith

"Do not be puzzled, my beauty. Come and join your friends." The abysmal voice rang out once more. Deciding that she had hid enough, Quistis pushed from the ground and emerged forcefully into the open. She was planning to startle her opponent. But instead, she was the one who was introduced to shock.

By the feet of the armor-clad adversary lay strewn the clothes of her friends. Squall's leather jacket and pants, Seifer's gray overcoat, Selphie's canary-yellow short dress all of them. And they all contained skeletal remains. 

He had murdered her friends.

"No what have you done?" Quistis nauseously bellowed, trying hard to maintain her composure despite feeling her stomach about to turn inside out. And the gruesome sensation disappeared as quickly as it came, and was replaced by that of tragic grieving. She was alone now. All her friends were dead.

Grief then transmogrified to rage. Her right fist turned white as it clamped tightly around the Save The Queen.

"You've killed my friends, murderer. You will die for this."

"Yes, that is absolutely true." The man with the silver armor matching his silvery locks returned. But this time, his voice reeked of a scornful tone as if deliberately irking the instructor. "I have killed them, my pretty. But not today, not at this hour. In fact, they were already dead before they faced me."

Despite her rage, Quistis grew confused. "What what are you talking about?"

"And the truth is, I have already killed you, too."

"What?"  


"And now, allow me to feast on your soul."

"No!!!" Quistis screamed as white flames exploded from his eyes. **"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"**

----------

"Nooo!!! NOOOO!!!!!!"

Quistis was so sure that she was on her way to the fiery pits of Hades. She was expecting the heat of brimstone to melt the skin and flesh off her bones. Her horror was great, and her fear was made black and bitter with helplessness.

But instead of infernal pain, she felt strong hands jostling her by the shoulders.

"Wake up! Quistis, wake up!"

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

It felt like emerging from the murky liquid of despair and terror, but eventually, the instructor slowly felt relief creeping back into her as she observed the four walls of the SeeD quarters surrounding her. It was just a dream. A nightmare. Probably the worst she ever had. As she tried to inhale, the sticky sensation of a dried throat impeded her breath. She struggled to echo out her need for replenishment.

"Water I need water"

"Here." He quipped while giving her a glass of that cold liquid. With trembling hands, Quistis grabbed the tissue-lined glass, spilling some of the water on her bed sheet in the process. She then devoured its contents with large gulps. She had never felt this thirsty in her entire life.

"Are you all right?"

She spent a moment to allow her body to sag back on the bed before answering his question. "I I don't know It was horrible"

"I know."

That was when she realized once more that she wasn't alone. Suddenly sitting back up, Quistis hurled a fearful gaze at the intruder kneeling in front of her.

"W-Was it you? Were you the one responsible for that nightmare? For me seeing my friends die?"

"Yes." Was his reluctant reply.

"Why? What do you want? And who are you?"

At that point, the intruder opted to stand up and walk a few paces away from her. Not knowing how to react, Quistis waited for him to answer. She knew she should be doing something else, but her golden bullwhip hung at a rack at the other side of the bed. And she wasn't junctioned. Unlike the others, she always felt compelled to unjunction her GFs whenever she went to bed. It was like she felt they also needed a reprieve whenever she herself was resting. 

And without their assistance, she didn't know if she can take him on one-on-one. This intruder had just violated the privacy of her room without alerting Garden's security systems. No mean feat, she thought. If he can do something like that, he must also be well equipped to take on a SeeD in battle. Much more an unjunctioned one. 

The instructor then looked at her bedside table and saw her SeeD communicator. One flick of the distress call and she could have a battalion of SeeDs rushing to her aid. But for some reason, she was dissuaded from calling for help. For some reason, she knew he had something to say. And she wanted to hear it.

"You don't need to know my name." The intruder started. "But you have to hear out my warning."

"Warning? What I don't understand."

"Then understand this." He blurted out while abruptly turning towards her. "You and your friends will all die. You will not survive the wrath of the nihilist who devours souls."

Quistis squinted. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"You have just been appointed to seek out and destroy the one responsible for the recent rash of mass murders, right?"

"Y-Yeah" She stammered, recalling the meeting they held with Cid.

"And I'm telling you, you cannot defeat him. By pursuing this task, you will only serve to be his feast, and nothing more. Your combined strengths are not nearly enough to defeat him. In fact no one is powerful enough. Not sorceresses, not warriors like you. No one. And I need you to understand that."

She didn't answer, wondering hard at this stranger's possible motive for giving her this warning. He couldn't possibly be an ally, she knew no ally who fit his description. On the other hand, this could also be a trick. But she knew that theory was as thin as they come. Why would this stranger want to trick them? Is he in collusion with the enemy they were tasked to destroy?

"How do I know that you're not one of the enemies." Quistis blurted skeptically. "You came barging in here and induced this nightmare on me, just like that. And then you'd tell me that we're en route to a hopeless suicide mission. Why? What's in it for you?"

She knew she shouldn't be humoring him like this. Quistis should just ask for help and get this thing over with. She can't figure out why she's giving him the time of day.

Why is she doing a lot of things she knew she shouldn't be doing? What is it with him that drove her to such unorthodox behaviors?

"We're not done yet." He replied irrelevantly. "But my time here is limited."

He's going? No He can't go. Not just yet.

"And I implore you, reconsider. Your lives are at stake."

Was that it? He didn't want anything bad to happen to them? But why?

He then started back to the dark corner of the room whence he appeared earlier. And when she saw him leaving, Quistis felt a tearing inside her. As if she didn't want him to go.

"Please wait"

"You will see me again." Was all she heard from the intruder as his dark form melded back into the shadows. Quickly reaching out for the light switch, she illuminated the room with the white fluorescence only to find herself alone once more.

"Who are you?"

-----------

"Quisty, are you okay?"

She heard Selphie's voice, but only as part of the background noise dominated by the steady hum of the Ragnarok's burning rocket engine. She was still awash with wonderment, pondering vehemently on the previous night's events. She found it unusual, but it seemed the impromptu guest she had managed to leave his mark in her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about him. He came quietly and left in the same manner, leaving ominous premonitions suggesting her and her friends' demise.

There may or may not be credence in his words. She didn't know. There was no way for her to judge his sincerity. But that hardly mattered at this very moment. All she knew was the way he talked to her that night. The way his low and raspy, almost scary voice emanated telltale signs of tenderness that she guessed wasn't really inherent to him. And how he brushed his fingers against hers when he gave her the glass of water she thought she felt a haunting eagerness in it.

"Quisty!"

"I'm all right, Sef. Don't worry about me." Quistis finally acknowledged without looking at her comrade.

"You overslept, didn't you?" Echoed the Trabian girl's usual, perky voice. "That's not fair. We agreed no sneaking into anyone's room last night."

The instructor chuckled. Though she knew that Selphie was only kidding, she still can't avoid feeling amused at the incredulity of her friend's allusion.

"And I'll bet you didn't pull Irvine into the service elevator again"

Her smile suddenly disappeared when she turned her attention to Selphie. Her eyes then glared in horror, together with the sudden chill that crept into her whole body. For a moment, Quistis thought Selphie had lost her head. Literally.

"Quisty? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Uhh n-nothing nothing, Sef." She stuttered a reply before walking out on her friend. Quistis felt queasy, recalling an age-old superstition about people appearing headless when they're about to die. She then remembered the nightmare, how she saw the Garden populace burying her and her friends. Quistis remembered the silvery-haired enemy who reduced all of them to bony remains.

Slowly, she tried to turn her eyes back toward the rest of the party. Zell was in his usual spot behind the control panel, teaching Rinoa the basics of the Ragnarok controls. Irvine and Squall stood by the side panel while talking about Galbadian politics. Selphie, who had just talked to her, was reluctantly approaching Seifer from behind.

And again, her blood froze at the sight that met her. All of them were headless.

**End of Chapter Three**


	5. Chapter 4

**

* * *

**

Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Freedom must have sounded empty for one such as he. Thought forever lost in his prison of darkness, his reveling heart has yet to re-acclimate to this sensation made foreign by hundreds of years of incarceration. He called it unjust, termed it as cruel. His persecutors did not understand his curse for requiring the consumption of human souls. So they shackled him, restrained him in asphyxiating earth. His cries went unheard in the ears of those who claimed to be saving innocents from his devouring greed. 

What did he do wrong? What transgression has he committed? He had asked himself then, and was answered with spite. They plotted and collaborated against him, not realizing that he merely wished to thrive, to survive. If his nourishment consisted of human essences, what right have they to oppress him? He was merely a predator, a legitimate one. He had as much right to live as the unsightly Ochu who rope its food with one of its tentacles. He was just exercising his right to take his fair share of nature's bounty. If it happened to be the spirit that animates man, can he truly be blamed for it?

They can always reproduce; they can always bear their offspring in numberless quantities. Whatever that was lost, they can easily replace. Why can't they give him his freedom to survive? Was it because he had to kill one of their own? What if he preyed on lower life forms, would they take fault in that? Most probably not. They were nothing but bigots. Selfish, double-minded dogmatists who cared only of their own. They who hunt other animals for food, hypocritically punishing those who do the same to them. 

Cruel humans who knew no charity.

And the accursed arms with which they performed their self-centered iniquities. The clan of Hunters. The wretched coterie of self-aggrandizing men who called themselves protectors. They were the most cruel of the lot. They were the ones who schemed his imprisonment and devised the heartless method for its execution. They were the ones who most deserve his righteous blade of vengeance. Whilst he would only feast on the souls of today's generation, theirs will he make suffer in the most delectable of manners.

He raised his nostrils in the air and sniffed. The family of contemptible adversaries may be gone now. But there remained one. He knew him not, but he was aware of the last Hunter's legacy. His was the fateful knowledge of their eventual confrontation. A preordained event that was as sure to come as the night after this sun-drenched day. And he will face the last son of his tormentors. He will face him and kill him and then savor the aroma of his sweet, adulterated soul. 

But that can wait. He had no choice but to make it wait. After the hundred years of his forced slumber, his strength has not achieved its full potential yet. He has yet to return to the peak of his power. He still needed replenishment, and he could think of nothing else but that.

A welcome scent went past his awareness. A nearby town, teeming with her wives and husbands, flourishing with her youthful men and women who frequently come forward to her ministers in marriage. A congregation of the old working their chores and the young playing their games.

A vibrant fruit, ripe for the picking. And again, he felt the hunger.

----------

"And then she told me, ' Do you believe a guy could be totally faithful with his wife or girlfriend even if he's met someone like her?' Like, how in bloody hell am I supposed to answer a question like that?"

"Did you get into trouble again?"

"Not exactly. It's not like I openly flirted with anyone in front of her. But man, you know some things just can't be avoided. I mean, you have to admit, we don't exactly meet someone like her everyday. What's a guy supposed to do? Can't he appreciate beauty like that without all these suspicions?"

"You did get into trouble again. So what did you tell her?"

"I said I have eyes only for her. You know, the usual romantic drivel."

"She believed you?"

"No."

The poker-faced expression of the Estharian guard didn't change at the otherwise amusing quip of his partner. It had been a generally uneventful day for these two sentries assigned to the Intelligence Division office of Camp Tetsuo, a military installation just beyond the former site of the Lunatic Pandora lab *. Normally, ensigns like them assigned to guard duty would abuse their commanding officer's leniency and go for coffee during a similarly drab interval like this. But an earlier announcement about visiting SeeDs from Balamb Garden changed their normal routine. If anything, they wanted to at least catch a glance of those 'hotties from Garden' once more.

They were thankful that their shift officer wasn't present. Or else they would be engaged in another heated debate that almost always ends up with a DA measure, usually in the form of a hundred pushups. He had never been a gracious loser when outnumbered in an argument, they've always thought. And the last thing they wanted to do was express their unabashed sentiments in his presence.

Their muffled conversation was interrupted by a miscellany of footsteps drawing near their position. The first one turned his head slightly toward the approaching group. There were seven of them walking in the pack, with the sentries' eyes initially focusing on the three females. Their attentions alternating between the one clad in sky-blue and the other wearing an undersized, yellow dress, the guards eventually fixed their gaze on the tallest one with the blonde hair wearing a vermilion-colored sleeveless blouse.

"Good God, that bod! That angelic face The bullwhip!"

"Yeah!" His partner chuckled, finally showing some expression. "And that that Oh man! If I didn't know better I'd say she got an operation and had baby's skin grafted all over her."

"Now that's a nice scenario." The second sentry replied sarcastically. "Why don't you just say 'I wish she wore a dress like that short one is wearing' or something like that?"

"I can't. Too much for the imagination."

"Grr You have to be a priest to not fall in love with someone like her."

"A very DEAD priest, if I might add."

"Exactly!" The two finally broke out in muffled chortles.

In moments like this Quistis would normally feel a mixture of amusement and discomfort. Though fully accustomed to hearing people talking about her like this, her familiarization was usually limited to the generally innocuous remarks of her students. Less scrupulous commentaries like this tend to annoy her more than anything else.

But she hardly had any room for feeling anything else right now. It had already been a few hours, yet the perturbation still lingered on her like a persistent virus. She still can't shake off the turmoil brought about by visions revealed to her earlier in the Ragnarok. After that frightening moment when she saw glimpses of what old traditions described as a premonition, she immediately withdrew herself from the team's presence and sought reprieve inside the airlock. And that was were she stayed until they reached their preliminary destination. 

Until this moment, she was still fearful of looking at her comrades, wary of seeing headless forms once more. She was even afraid to look into reflective surfaces, dreading that she might just see herself in the same, hair-raising situation. He did say that they were all going to die.

She stopped in mid-thought and wondered: why in the world was she believing his words? Quistis firmed herself while resolving that the unknown intruder was merely demented. He can't possibly be right about his warning. It wasn't like they were all green-horned neophytes and strangers to dangerous situations. Experience-wise, they were already seasoned veterans and acknowledged professionals. They had already defeated a future-based sorceress, a nearly omnipotent demigod and a murderous, calculating zealot. How could anything possibly be worse that what they have already faced?

But at the same time, how could she ignore the premonitions, if they are in fact that? Could she just turn her back to the possibility that her unwanted informer may be right? Maybe it was just an unknown technique of mental conditioning and manipulation. Who knows?

She must know. Deranged or not, the very instincts that governed the soundness of most of her past decisions had been compelling her to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She must know.

"Major Pearson and Captain Laggan have been expecting you." Echoed another sentry's voice that broke the instructor's musing. 

She had no choice but to look up to her team and endure the ominous fear gripping her. Quistis was momentarily relieved to see them in their normal states. But how long will this last? And how would she take another instant when the premonition again manifests itself? She hated it, but she had to face the fact that she had never been this scared in her entire life. Her gnawing questions needed answers, and fast.

"Squall," Quistis called out to the commander, "could I uh sit this one out? I'm not exactly feeling up to this" She furthered, apprehensive of his reaction.

"Why? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I I'm just feeling a little bit under the weather."

Squall looked intently at her. It wasn't like Quistis at all to plead for pass in mission briefings like this. If anything, she cared too much about her duties as deputy SeeD commander to assume a rather indifferent attitude. There has to be a very good reason why Quistis was begging out of the client meeting.

On the other hand, Quistis wasn't exactly lying. The recent fits of anxiety had brought about those uncomfortable, swirling sensations in her stomach. And that made her disposition even worse. Here she was, a tragic tiding about to unfold staring her in the face, and at the same time gripped with a consternating condition she had been languishing under for the past two months. This has got to be one of the worst times of her life.

"All right. But don't stray too far, we might need you here."

"Okay" She trailed off before turning about.

"What's with Quisty?" Rinoa echoed. Squall merely looked at her. He didn't want to consider the possibilities but something was telling him that things were not exactly well. Besides, it wasn't only the instructor who had been living under a shadow of fear during the last two months.

----------

The wrath of the earth won't nearly be enough to contain the thirst of the soul devourer. The machinations of the clan of Hunters will serve only as an impediment, but not as the ultimate solution. The cries of a thousand spirits begging for freedom will not rest until the chosen one is found.

In this babe's veins run the blood of heroic ideals that spawn Hunters. He is the perfect heir to the unenviable throne, the complete gladiator to grasp on the destroyer's heels and slow his march of doom. Before him, others have risen to the fires of war and fought the battle of Cimmerian adversity, adhering to the destiny by which his lineage was ordained to fulfill. In his sandals lay the petition of those slain, the piteous voices of spirits facing eternal incineration. In his blade shimmered the cries of vengeance written by a century of endless conflagration. In his heart was instilled the wisdom of sacrifice. Scores before him fell, bearing the same wisdom but taking no heed. Generations after him will die should he choose the same path.

And though the burden may be his to carry, he is not the chosen one. He will never be the chosen one. For the one anointed to exchange life for thousands of stolen lives will not come from the clan of Hunters. The lineage that fell across years will not bear the ultimate redeemer to free the captive souls. 

But despite this, his is the consecration of the holy task. On his burdened shoulders rest the mission of snaring the one who is one with a legion of condemned souls fated to slay and be slain.

With Hyne's guidance, future generations will no longer be in need of a Hunter.

He had already lost count of the many times he read this manuscript. A scroll renowned for its ancient origin, said to have been passed down across generations of his so-called lineage of the Hunters. He had understood then what it meant the first time he read through it. But then, he didn't really care enough to give it serious thought. So according to the prophetic scripture, though his predecessors fought the beast of spirits directly, he was to take a different path. It was not his task anymore to fight the same war that claimed sporadic victories, but lost a lot more in return.

No. According to the prophecy, someone who did not belong to the clan had been chosen to defeat the devourer of souls. Someone whom he had to hunt down in fulfillment of his responsibility. He did not know who it was then, but nor did he care. He felt somewhat accountable then to at least feel even a tinge of remorse with the knowledge of the 'chosen one's' fate. But he felt no such morose emotion. He didn't even know who the person was.

Until he found her. At first he didn't want to believe it, especially after that night four months ago when he first saw her through the concealing bars of the air vent where he hid from her awareness. He felt unabashed skepticism then after basking in her bare splendor. She was the one spoken of in prophecies? 

She's not a warrior. She's a goddess of love and beauty.

And even if she was, it still puzzled him. What was so extraordinary about her except for her undeniably fine abilities as a combatant? The devourer had ravished more warriors that he'd care to think about. She was no different. If she would amount to anything, that is merely to serve as food for the ravenous wolf of souls. 

He tried to perceive something in her that might prove an exception. But instead of finding any value to serve the cause at hand, he stumbled on to something else. Instead of seeing her as the weapon to destroy the destroyer, he saw her as an arrow. An arrow that subsequently pierced his heart. He found it ludicrous, or at least tried to. But there was no denying the fact that she had endeared herself to him. Without her even knowing it, she tore down the barrier he had erected around his emotions to protect him from the hurt similar to what he experienced from a past failure.

He wondered how many times she had accomplished this with other men. He wouldn't be surprised at all if the answer yielded more than he would think possible. And it was this failing that brought another obstacle to his already daunting mission. He knew he was falling of her. And he also knew that she was destined to die together with her comrades. What was there left to do? He tried to persuade her to turn her back to her mission. And yet, he knew it to be an exercise in futility. He wasn't one to fall to the mistake of ignorance, and he was aware of the SeeD code of never turning their backs on adversity.

The one who was called intruder then wished he had never taken on this task. Never mind the difficulties he knew he'd face. All of those now paled in comparison to the prospect of witnessing her fate unfold before his very eyes. His heart shattered with the knowledge that he will eventually witness her death.

And as he watched her coming aboard the dragon ship, he felt the pain of impending loss once more. He had once been forced to openly witness a loved one walk out of his life once, and the pain it brought was anything but a joke. He was devastated then. And he was about to be crushed once more now. He knew she wouldn't listen to him but at least he had to try as much as he could. And all of the sudden, his mission had taken on a different hue.

"I hope you had at least considered my warning."

Quistis turned abruptly, but she wasn't as surprised as she was before. Somehow, she knew better than to not expect him this time.

"I would, but I don't exactly have the luxury of a choice." She echoed back at him as he somersaulted down from his pendulant position above the Ragnarok's entrance. She assumed an almost threatening voice to hide her faltering resolve. "Now it would do you good to stop whatever it is you're planning."

He looked at her gentle face and felt his heart melt. The struggle to feign a steely resonance became quite a chore for him. "You don't know who you're dealing with here."

"I don't?" She shot back wryly. "All right then, acquaint me. Who are you? And what are you hoping to accomplish by telling me that we are all about to die?"

He hesitated, deliberating on whether to reveal to her the full message of the prophecy he held in his hands. A subtle tug in his heart then persuaded himself to comply with her other inquiry.

"It's not going to do you any good. But if you're going to insist"

"And I intend to." The instructor firmly interjected. He couldn't help but admire the power of her will.

" You may call me Hunter."

Quistis maintained her steely expression. But at the same time, she felt something leap inside her heart. For some reason, the mention of his name carried with it a wisp of magic that excited her. It was like a profound gladness that she can't understand. Still, she didn't allow the moment of thrill to sway her from her objective.

"Explain this hogwash about our alleged deaths. Now."

"It's not hogwash, Quistis." Hunter momentarily paused to observe the instructor. She didn't look surprised that he already knew her name. "I wouldn't go through all this trouble just to play a prank on you. But if you're willing to listen, I'll tell you all you need to know."

Quistis thought deeply. She was aware of the danger lurking under a possible error of judgment should she choose to give him leeway. But she can't deny the signs that she saw the omen of doom hanging over her unsuspecting friends. If she were to make any sense out of it, it would definitely entail a certain degree of risk on her part. She felt she might regret it later on, but she also knew of no other option.

"Agreed. But I have to warn you: no tricks. I'm not deputy SeeD commander for nothing."

"Very well." Hunter concurred. "Let's take this ship for a ride."

"To where?" 

"Tomb of the Unknown King. You will find your answers there."

Quistis suddenly hesitated. Leaving her comrades behind would certainly constitute desertion, one of the most serious infractions a SeeD can commit. She could be court marshaled for this action.

But she had to know.

"All right. Let's go."

**End of Chapter Four**

*** **Destroyed in** _The Fourth Universe_**


	6. Chapter 5

**

* * *

**

Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Fifty-eight men."

"Ohmigosh."

"Fifty-eight brave, good men. Lost. Just like that. Next question, please."

Zell almost felt guilty after seeing the distraught expression on the face of Major Sarah Pearson as she answered his question. He imagined some of these brave men she spoke about must have been under her command, since the look in her face unmistakably displayed a sense of loss. But he wasn't the only one making the same observation. Seeing her facial cast, Captain Marianne Laggan opted to fill up the slack.

"Nice going, Chicken-wuss." Seifer whispered to Zell. "Next time, ask them about the casualty rate during the first Sorceress War."

"Shut up, Seifer! How was I supposed to know?" Zell shot back.

"You would if you'd only use that gray mass inside your head that you keep insisting to be a brain."

"Bastard."

"Mr. Dincht, Mr. Almasy, do we have a problem here?" Captain Laggan suddenly exclaimed.

"Uhh no, ma'am. We were just, uhh you know" Zell stammered. Seifer just flashed a smirk as the Estharian officer focused her attention at the martial artist.

"Good. Because I need you to listen to me and understand that whatever we hurled toward the direction of this 'thing' either bounced back slaughtered or never at all. We've already lost a lot of our best soldiers against it, and those were ones that paid attention to briefings like this. We're already in a huge disadvantage here and I suggest that you not aggravate it further. Is that clear?"

"Uh yes ma'am." Zell replied sheepishly, trying to restrain an outburst as Seifer silently snickered.

The discussion was then interrupted by a loud knock followed by the entrance of another officer more decorated than the two convening with the SeeDs. Major Pearson and Captain Laggan simultaneously stood up to salute the newcomer.

"Officer on deck."

"At ease, Major, Captain." The officer acknowledged. "How are things going?"

"SeeDs, I would like to introduce you to General Ruth Pischke, base commander of Camp Tetsuo."

Except for Seifer, they all welcomed General Pischke with the familiar SeeD salute. Irvine amusedly mumbled toward Rinoa and Selphie as they sat back down.

"Is it just me or is this place too jam-packed with cuties? I mean, what is this? A military base or a tribe of Amazons?"

"Sshh!" Rinoa shushed him with an elbow nudge. Irvine wondered slightly when Selphie didn't react to his joke. Normally, she'd be the first to feign an expression of jealousy whenever he makes a provocative comment about other women.

"That's quite all right. I won't be staying long." The commanding officer opened. "I just came here to inform you of the current situation. We just received word from our Kashkabald unit that the enemy had taken another town again. And like all the others no one survived."

"My goodness!" Rinoa voiced out. "Shouldn't we be doing something about it now?"

"We are doing something, Ms. Heartilly." General Pischke returned calmly. "As of today, rescue forces have been mobilized to evacuate all the other towns and villages that we think stood on the path of our target. It may not be much, but at least that would help to curb the body count."

"So where's this thing now? Have you made a fix of its location?" Asked Squall.

"Yes. He's still moving. Only about two hundred or so miles south of the desert." Pischke returned. "Oh, and one more thing. Is Deputy Commander Trepe supposed to go somewhere today without you?"

"Huh? No." The SeeD commander quipped back, puzzlement showing in his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Because she left a couple of minutes ago. She took the Ragnarok with her."

"WHAT?"

"Wh Why would Quisty leave us behind?"

They were throwing their reckless opinions around as Squall pondered intently. Ever since they left Balamb Garden, he had been noticing his deputy commander's unusual behavior, which, at first, he thought to be just an aggravation of the friction persisting between the two of them for the last two months. But this morning, he thought he saw something in her. Something that almost borders on fear. He wondered if this had something to do with her deserting them like this.

"Monitor Central, this is Commander Squall Leonhart, authorization code six-kappa-rho." He began to talk into his communicator. "Initiate standard SeeD signal triangulation. Subject: Deputy Commander Quistis Trepe." He then turned to General Pischke after the locate request he issued. "General, is there an aerial carrier vessel that we can borrow in this base?"

----------

The sun shone with brilliant red rays from the western horizon, painting crimson streaks across the thick patches of cumulus clouds littering the darkening skies over the Galbadian countryside. Through the clear wind barrier of the Ragnarok, Quistis observed the scarlet surroundings distort as a result of the heated air being emitted by the dragon ship's landing thrusters. When the air settled, she softly expressed admiration for the serene environment in her mind. It would have been a perfect night to enjoy the scenery if not for the grim tidings besetting her.

She spent a second to turn off the Ragnarok's engine before turning to the masked mystery man beside her.

"We're here."

"I can see that."

Quistis was slightly offended by Hunter's thoughtless quip. If she didn't know better, she'd think he had been taking finishing lessons from Seifer. On the other hand, he saw the momentary scowl that went across her lovely face, and felt repentant for his unwitting remark.

"Sorry. I mean uhh what time is it?"

The instructor turned around to conceal her amused smile.

"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get this thing over with."

As they entered the old ruins famed for the number of curious denizen who entered its forbidden gates and never came out, Hunter gently held Quistis by the arm, prodding her to stay behind him. This wasn't exactly the first time he visited this accursed temple of earth creatures and undead beings. The last time he was here, Hunter himself had to hide behind the protection of the man who sired him and trained him to be what he is. Back then, his whole being cringed at the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned burial place. And though grown to full manhood, he still remembered the creeping sensation. He still remembered the hideous monsters they faced. And if anything, the first thing he wanted to do was to protect Quistis from whatever creature they encounter along the way.

Quistis recognized the tender grip on Hunter's hands. She didn't know whether to find it hilarious or sweet.

"Thanks." She quipped. "But I am a SeeD, you know. I can take care of myself quite well."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm the man in this little party. So you're under my protection."

It wasn't exactly _PC_, Quistis thought. And aside from that, her renown as one of the most accomplished fighters of Garden had brought her to hardly necessitate any special treatment from her male peers. Maybe Irvine occasionally displayed gallant acts like this, but she had always accepted them as skin-deep. A superficial gesture of a ladies' man who always sought to win the approval of his female colleagues. 

But coming from Hunter, it somehow felt different. Not only did it feel sincere

It also basked her entire being with a profound warmth that made her feel safe and happy. Chivalry wasn't only alive and kicking. But it was also sending her heart to a flower field of serene beauty and fragrance. Had Hunter turned around, he would have seen the sweet smile painted on Quistis' face.

Almost uneventfully, the pair managed to walk through the dank corridor connecting the deserted courtyard to the center of the structure, where a moat surrounded a single edifice in the middle of the maze-like mausoleum. The drawbridge was still down, indicating that the place had stayed undisturbed ever since they visited this place to collect the student number required for that audience with General Caraway more than a year ago. Pity she didn't have the Brothers junctioned, Quistis thought. They would have had a hay day seeing their old sanctuary again.

"We'll find what we're looking for inside there." The masked man directed.

"Inside the tomb?"

"Yep. Let's go."

However, they had to stop dead on their tracks when two Forbiddens suddenly stood on their path. The run-of-the-mill tomb of kings population, Quistis thought. Instinctively, she removed the golden Save The Queen from its harness and braced herself for battle. But Hunter had other things in mind.

"Stand back, Quistis. Let me handle this."

"Hunter, it doesn't have to take"

"Just sit tight and relax. I've got this covered."

"But I have a Megalixir he" 

She was slightly annoyed when he walked out of her in mid-sentence to face the undead creatures. So Quistis just stood there with a frown on her face and her arms smugly crossed over her chest. She didn't know why, by she hated it when he treated her in that manner. She was so irked that at one point she wished the Forbiddens got a lucky one in, but the thought was quickly followed by an apologetic mumble.

But as the instructor watched the intruder battle the pair of monsters, she slowly noticed a peculiar way by which he fought the enemies. Quistis wondered why Hunter frequently executed reverse pivots to spin away whenever one of the Forbiddens swung from his side. He could have just as easily used one of the Twin Jutte psi blades he was wielding to block the lateral attack. Why did he intentionally position himself in between them? Didn't he know that he can be blindsided more easily this way? Why did he keep on using kicks and elbow strikes to push his enemies back? Yeah, his movements were very fluid and graceful almost artistic in its perfect rhythms. Not to mention quick as lightning. But what the hell are those short swords for?

And when Hunter finally plunged his weapons inside the heads of the Forbiddens, a brilliant, white spark shot out from the contact point between the blades and the bare bones that comprised the squealing skulls. The bluish white glow was unmistakable, she thought. Holy magic. If his weapons were somehow infused with Holy magic, what took him so long in defeating the undead creatures? He could easily have destroyed them with a straight stab or two.

Speaking from a tactical point of view, there was absolutely no sense behind Hunter's superfluously extravagant combat maneuvers. It didn't take long before Quistis realized it. And when she did, a fond and slightly amused smile flashed across her dainty lips.

He was showing off to her.

She didn't know whether to laugh or gush. Never mind the fact that he did possess excellent combat skills, that didn't come as a surprise to the instructor. She just couldn't avoid feeling like a school girl once more one who had just seen her favorite varsity player slam the ball into the hoop after taking off from the free throw line. Quistis couldn't explain the excitement building up inside her.

"There huhh all done" Hunter came back to her with labored breaths. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No, I'm sure you had a good time." She replied, trying to hold back a smile. Quistis knew she wouldn't be able to hide her amazement for long so she eventually opted to proceed with their goal. "Come on, we don't have much time."

After a short trek across the drawbridge, they were finally upon the open crypt that once imprisoned the spirit of the unknown king. Hunter approached the stone artifact slowly and carefully, as if venerating the sacredness surrounding the mystery that shrouded its existence. Quistis watched intently as he laid two hands along the wide side of the crypt and bowed his head down, appearing like he was praying. After the brief moment of solemnity, the dark operative reached into the crypt and pulled out a dusty, yellowish scroll. It was almost brittle, attesting to the relic's supposed age. He cautiously unrolled the delicate item and subsequently browsed through it.

When he started speaking in verses, the arcane and dreary tone of his voice perturbed her.

King of past made somber

A mate's done betrayal

Vengeance schemed made darker

Sentence without a trial

A hasty summon, a spiteful call

Awakened ancient poison

Unfettered hate spared all

But his mate's faithless moan

Curse of ages screamed refusal

To be driven back to sleep

Its archaic hunger carnal

Too insatiable, too deep

Awakened avenger took leave

Revealing the old king's crime

Innocent souls are his to cleave

Damning a generation's time

His heart needed atonement

And atonement demanded life

A life without substance to eternity spent

Imprisoned within his people's strife

Ancient king before his verdict

Called forth his loyal knights

To them he left his last edict

Be saviors to doomed plights

A new commission to not falter

Destroy his jealousy's spawn

From that day forth, called they Hunters

And their task began at dawn

And to hide his guilt and shame

The king declared reparation

His reign to die with no acclaim

And his name forever unknown.

The instructor was dumbfounded. She can't be hearing the old legend of the unknown king. 

"Is that is that the"

"Sshh! Quiet!" Hunter blurted out. And as if on cue, the decaying chamber became filled with dull luminescence as the crypt began to emit a yellowish-white glow. Quistis felt her hairs standing on ends, as she became aware of another presence becoming manifest. She then watched with awe as a writhing figure took shape and hovered before them.

"Your father was Hunter before you." The spirit began to speak in a hollow voice. "What manner of curse led you to disturb my freedom by unraveling the tome of my shame?"

"Venerable king, forgive me." Hunter replied. "But the destroyer you you have unleashed The one imprisoned by my ancestors from a century ago walks again. And he's taking innocent lives again like before."

This wasn't the first time Quistis witnessed the awakening of the unnamed monarch. She knew him from a previous encounter that acquired for them the allegiance of the mighty earth Guardians. And yet, she felt something different with this latest encounter. Back then, all she perceived from the bodiless entity was reprieve after they apparently freed him from his prison. She almost felt guilty while realizing that they may be denying him the freedom once more.

"And what concern is that to me, fated warrior? Haven't I already suffered for the carnage that I caused? Do you mean to incarcerate me again because my curse is among the living once more?"

"By no means, your highness. I am aware of the ancient words that revealed the soul reaper's downfall. And I am also aware that once it broke free, it would become impossible for one such as I, working alone, to send it back to the pit that spawned it. However, I have with me who prophecies dictated as the one to introduce the destroyer to his ultimate defeat. Please, I seek you counsel for her."

He showed no semblance of eyes, but Quistis knew that the spirit was boring down on her with his scrutinizing senses. She couldn't avoid feeling uncomfortable because of it.

"Where are your comrades?" The ghost blurted out to her. "The scripture of prophecy declared that a legion will be responsible for the slaying of the beast. But they themselves will be slain."

Hunter noticed Quistis' silence. He almost regretted bringing her here. It wasn't the easiest thing for someone to hear an oracle's voice predicting her death. He was nevertheless startled when Quistis spoke back to the unknown king.

"No one needs to die senselessly, your highness." She voiced out with all the dignity of a proud warrior. And though admiring her resolve, Hunter became confused with the lack of clarity in her reply.

"Do you fear for your life?" The spirit returned.

"Y-Yes. But I fear more for those of my friends."

"Very well. Such is your destiny as you have chosen. I shall then meet you by the gates when you complete your journey to the ethereal realm."

Journey to the ethereal realm? What was he saying?

"My lord, it is not my position to question your word but"

"But what, descendant of my knights?" The king thundered back at Hunter. "But this woman has become endeared to your heart?"

Quistis looked at Hunter, unsure of how to react. And despite the foreboding truth revealed to her, she couldn't avoid feeling elated at the prospect suggested by the substance-bereft monarch. Hunter's silence subsequently caressed her heart even more.

"Go now. And secure my final absolution."

The glow filling the old chamber disappeared, leaving the two awe-struck warriors wondering about what had just transpired. Hunter remained still, as if too embarrassed to look at Quistis. And too afraid. He didn't want to see the expression in her face now that she knew she was going to die. The strained silence was then interrupted when the instructor's SeeD communicator started beeping.

"It's them. They've found us."

"Who?" He quizzically shot back.

"My comrades. I deserted them back in Esthar and now they're coming after me."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hunter asked, mindful of military protocols involved in such an act.

"It is for them. Unless I can do something about it. Come on, you have to help me out here."

----------

He knew the transport ship General Pischke loaned to them was a lot slower than the Ragnarok. And Squall feared that with the head start Quistis had, she may well be beyond their reach by now. However, his apprehension diminished the moment they began their descent over the grassland fronting the Tomb of the Unknown King. He stared stoically at the scarlet dragon ship silently parked by the entrance of the ancient structure.

Rinoa observed Squall as he maintained his silence. She tried hard to perceive his thoughts, wondering how he felt at this very moment. She didn't know if he was just anxious as a result of his duty of holding his team together, or worried about the reason that made the instructor abandon them like that. Rinoa didn't want to admit it but she felt a pinch of jealousy in her heart. But still, she was not one to make something out of trivial matters. She held her beau's arms and attempted to assuage him.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Quisty's all right."

"Let's go." He quipped, almost ignoring her words. "One of you make sure Diablos is working."

Together, the team of six quietly traversed the courtyard and the adjoining unlit hallway that eventually brought them to the central chamber. Irvine bent down momentarily, taking note of the two pairs of footprints on the rocky ground.

"This one is obviously Quisty's." He observed, puzzling on the other set of imprints. "But she's not alone. It's either she suddenly had a twisted idea for a date or she's being held captive. Heads up, guys. This doesn't look good."

They were all flustered to see the footprints ending beside the cold crypt. Irvine looked around furiously, confounded by what seemed to be their sudden disappearance. Seifer echoed his suggestion to everyone's consternation.

"Stealth techniques." He quipped. "The instructor is obviously giving us the runaround."

"And why in the world would Quisty do that?" Selphie exclaimed back.

"I don't know. Maybe she just got tired of you all. If that's the case, I don't blame her."

"That is so mean, Seifer!"

"Ignore him, Sefie." Squall interjected before reassuming an authoritative tone. "All right. Let's split up and look for her. And Irvine may be right so be careful and watch your backs. Double check your communicators."

They all took different paths in searching for their lost comrade. A few minutes later, Rinoa found herself in the middle of two intersecting corridors. Unsure of what to do, she bent down to look for clues that might help her in her search. 

She didn't notice the silent blur of a bullwhip's tip that whizzed past her wrist and flicked the 'Off' switch of her SeeD communicator.

"Rinoa."

Rinoa's eyes widened when she saw the source of the voice.

"Quisty! What are you doing here? We've been looking all over for you."

Quistis didn't answer, simply shrugging innocently to Rinoa's frantic inquiry. The latter then lifted her arm to inform their comrades, and subsequently discovered that her communicator had been disabled.

"Hey, I thought I double checked this thing." Rinoa blurted out. Quisty knew she had to act now.

"Rinoa"

"Yeah?"

A staggering blow from Quistis' fist connected solidly on Rinoa's jaw, instantly knocking her out.

And Quistis never felt so low in her entire life.

"I'm sorry, my friend. But I have to do this for your sake." She mumbled repentantly while securing Rinoa's hands and feet in a tight knot. She undoubtedly hated having hurt one of her best friends. But under the circumstances, Quistis knew that she had no other choice.

Come what may, she had already chosen her path. 

**End of Chapter Five**


	7. Chapter 6

**

* * *

**

Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Paperwork. If there was one thing he hated the most, that was paperwork.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously once more. It was almost an hour past midnight and he still hasn't gone through half the stack of documents that he needed to go through for this evening. General Caraway, who alternately answered to the call of president, still hasn't come to terms with the set of duties that were still new to him up to this time. How long has it been? More than a year? And still he has yet to acclimate himself to the new responsibilities brought to him as a result of the last Sorceress War. 

He was acting president now, a position that was rather forced into him with the demise of the dictator, Vinzer Deling. And it wasn't exactly a smooth road down the stretch so far, he thought. He already had to contend with at least one serious mutiny. Not that he mind the obstacles that stood his way, he wasn't exactly the overly naïve leader who thought everything was going to be fine once the despot was removed from his abusive post. Even though it showed in less times than he expected, he still knew that the Galbadian people were still gripped with a shade of paranoia with having the armed forces chief of staff taking over the helm of government. Somehow, people just couldn't differentiate between a civilian tyrant and a military topbrass who meant only to instill order and peace amongst the populace. He knew they still don't trust him to a certain degree.

Caraway thought he could cope with that. Besides, he really didn't have much choice. And he'd rather face a mob of skeptics than sit behind his desk all day, reviewing proposals and petitions intently to separate the issues that required urgency from the other, characteristically whimsical ones. Bureaucratic trash, he had always considered this exercise to be. How he wished he could find an honest politician to endorse to the people, if only to free him from this undesirable position. But no, not all countries can be as fortunate as Esthar for having a leader like his friend and political ally, Laguna Loire.

"Mr. President," a voice crackled from his desk intercom, "the Council is waiting for your decision, sir."

"Oh yeah" He thought to himself. It was only an hour ago when he was informed of two important developments that came the way of his office. One was the issue of the elderly woman convicted for treason for her role in the Vesta Crisis that took place a couple of months ago *. Lucresia Scaramanga, after being tried for the crime of conjuring the ancient demigoddess who nearly plunged the world into chaos, was found guilty and sentenced to death, a conviction that earlier demanded for his approval to be greenlighted by the Presidential Penal Committee. It almost gave him a headache, knowing that this was to be the first execution in the last one hundred years. And Richard Caraway wasn't exactly thrilled that his term had to be tagged with this infamous distinction.

And now, the second matter of utmost importance, as the newly created Parliamentary Council called it. Not used to agreeing with snot-faced politicians, Caraway felt a little amused for this rare event that he actually concurred with them.

"It's a go, Minister Willis. Tell them that I approve the decision of sending troops to assist the Estharian rescue efforts."

"Thank you, sir." 

He was almost thankful that whatever it was wreaking havoc in the Centran countryside didn't choose Galbadia as its playground. General Caraway almost felt fearful in light of the reports he received about Esthar's inability to halt the entity's advance. What manner of creature were they dealing with here anyway, and how come the mighty Esthar army was relegated to mere crowd control? This question had been eating into him since he received the news a few hours previous, and part of the reason he agreed to send help was his desire to assess the threat posed by this new enemy.

He also knew of Headmaster Cid's action of sending in his crack team headed by no less than the SeeD commander himself. He was also aware that his daughter, Rinoa, was with this squad sent to battle the entity. And that part worried him. They hadn't checked back yet since departing to pursue their comrade who suddenly deserted him. He didn't know Quistis Trepe that well, but still General Caraway can help thinking about the motive behind her uncharacteristic behavior.

"Shadows lurking behind the scenes" He unwittingly murmured before going back to his paperwork.

----------

Rule number one in stealth maneuvers: you can see the enemies, but they can't see you. At least that was the ideal scenario.

And Quistis somewhat detested the verbiage. She wasn't faced against enemies in this situation. She was going against her friends. Comrades whom prophecies declared doomed once they face the dark adversary currently prowling the southern crimson continent. And though insisting in her mind that this was for their own good, she still hated it. For one thing, hitting Rinoa like that left a bitter taste in her mouth that she wanted desperately to spit out. This wasn't the kind of thing a person does to her friends. 

But she knew she had no choice. She loved them like family. And they were just that. As such, she couldn't bear facing the prospect of seeing them die helplessly in the face of a threat she knew they had no chance of surmounting. It wasn't like she hasn't made a decision like this before. As a SeeD, there had been more times than she'd care to remember wherein she had to choose between the greater and the lesser evil. And this one was no different or at least that was what she wanted to believe no matter how much her heart screamed the contrary. It hurt her knowing that her beloved friends had to be pummeled by her own hands. But it was either that or face total annihilation. And again, Quistis proclaimed, it was a no-contest.

She quietly pressed herself against the wall, hiding her slender frame in the narrow shadow to keep herself from being noticed by her Galbadian colleague. As Irvine rounded the corner before him, Quistis thought momentarily. She could still exercise the strategy she used earlier against Rinoa. But Irvine wasn't exactly as naïve as the relatively inexperienced princess. Though appearing frivolous in his everyday routine, Irvine's attentiveness in the combat arena knew little peer. Quistis realized that she can't just walk up to him like she did to Rinoa. This one required a finer approach.

Her eyes alternated between her quarry and the ground before her, careful that her feet didn't land on any stone or loose gravel. Continuing her silent crouch, Quistis eventually caught up with Irvine. She was almost proud of herself, she thought. Stealth maneuvering wasn't one of the easiest things to do, and it marveled her that she can still cut it though it was seldom used in her assignments. Quistis promptly tightened the grip on her weapon as she came within a couple of yards from him.

"Huh?" Irvine suddenly echoed, which was followed by unmistakable, sniffing sounds. Quistis immediately froze, realizing that he can smell her. Irvine had always been sensitive to women's perfume.

"Quisty?"

She didn't waste any time. And before he could turn around, the instructor quickly slapped a sleeper hold around his neck. Startled, Irvine attempted to reach back and grab his assailant. But a sudden pressure exerted by Quistis' arms rendered his struggles for naught as the deft Seren Nerve Pinch technique took its prey once more. Irvine's body sagged as she gently lowered his unconscious form on the rocky earth.

"Irvy? What's happening over there?"

"Dammit!" Quistis muttered, annoyed at herself for failing to detect Selphie. She heard the rapid footsteps close in, indicating that the Trabian SeeD was only a second or two away. Without hesitation, Quistis took hold of the Exeter and forcefully flung it toward the source of the sound. Whirling noises hummed as the silver rifle spun like a propeller while hurtling speedily through the air. A loud, cracking sound subsequently echoed when the Exeter struck Selphie on the face just as she alighted from the corner. Quistis then followed with a powerful Flare attack that hurled her comrade back and smashed her against an adjacent wall.

"Three down, three to go." She mumbled dejectedly.

Zell, Seifer, and Squall.

She chooses her opponents well, Quistis thought. Or should that be foolishly?

----------

He was slowly realizing why she was renowned as one of the world's best when it comes to field combat. As the black-garbed figure who answered to the name Hunter approached the unconscious lass in blue, he couldn't help but admire the efficiency with which the instructor operated. He kneeled down beside Rinoa Heartilly and noted the decel cord coiled around her arms and legs, secure enough to keep her from wriggling free in case she wakes up, but not too tight as to restrict the blood flow. Hunter dabbed a finger on the red mark on her face where Quistis' fist had previously landed, admiring her lovely face in the process.

Effortlessly, he lifted her up over his shoulders. And while traversing the short distance en route to the platform where a mighty earth Guardian once stood, Hunter's mind inadvertently became flooded with a deluge of unpleasant memories pertaining to events that took place not too long ago. What brought about this recollection, he asked himself. Rinoa didn't exactly look like her. And for that matter, neither did Quistis, the one whom his heart had started yearning for in the midst of these chaotic days.

He could still hear her voice as if she had just talked to him mere seconds ago.

"I'm sorry. You'd have to forgive me, but"

But what? What brought about that sudden twist that consequently left him dangling under the remains of his broken dreams?

"I don't wish to live the coming days knowing of your burden. I don't wish to share your burden."

She didn't wish to share his burden. The words sounded like the deafening throes of a world falling apart before his very eyes. And truthfully, they might as well be. And no matter how much she insisted of her mere unwillingness to carry his load with him, he was quite painfully aware that it wasn't just that.

"Yes, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm going away with him. But for whatever it's worth, I want you to know that this isn't the main reason I'm leaving you. You and I both know it's true."

In a way, she had a point. If he had any concern for himself and the girl he once loved, he'd be the first to tell her to leave him and find herself another life. He loved her too much to see her suffer an encumbrance that wasn't hers. He couldn't bear to see her tormented face when the time comes for him to answer for his life. That was the only sensible thing to do. Tell her to forget about him, find someone else and get on with her life.

But he also would have wanted for her to wait until he took the initiative.

For the umpteenth time, Hunter labored for an answer. Which was the cause and which was the effect? Did she ponder on leaving him because of his personal tribulation and in the process found herself another man? Or did his affliction have nothing to do with her decision? He didn't know what to think, didn't know which one of the two situations would make him feel less bludgeoned. His wish for her happiness fought against that self-centered desire to know that her main reason for leaving him was anything other than another man. She had reason to, he surmised. But he just wasn't sure which one hauled more truth.

Close to a year had passed, and he was still seeking answers. But strangely enough, this time his heart wasn't as tortured. Subsequent efforts in reflecting upon his emotions revealed that the old heartache didn't carry as much sting as it did before. And yet, in truth this wasn't exactly that strange. He knew exactly why it had come to this point. He never expected it, never saw it coming until four months ago when he finally heeded the compulsion to fulfill his destiny. He discovered the existence of the instructor. And he subsequently found out that his dormant heart wasn't as inert as he thought it had become.

And now, the same gnawing question came back to him. If he yielded on his desire to pursue her, how would he handle the circumstances, carrying the same poison that once killed his dream? Why would he even consider wooing Quistis when he knew the proverbial sword of Damocles still hung over his head?

How could he tell her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her when there wasn't much left of it?

----------

"Zell, over here."

He turned abruptly upon hearing the mention of his name. Zell squinted, trying to make out the figure emerging from the unlit hallway before him. A mixture of relief and concern gripped him when Quistis took form, walking toward him while favoring her left leg.

"Quisty, is that you?"

"Help me, I'm hurt."

The painted SeeD frantically ran to his comrade's aid, who then had already leaned against a decrepit wall as she clutched her left knee that appeared bleeding. Quistis bit her lips when Zell raised the hem of her skirt.

"What the" He blurted out upon noticing that the blood on her knees wasn't real. "What is this, ketchup?"

"Sorry, Zell." Quistis quipped, after which her left knee planted hard against his nose. Stunned, the surprised Zell backed away from the instructor as he clutched his bleeding nostrils.

"Quisty whuddo you thigk you're doigng?!?"

"Don't worry, you're nose isn't broken. But I do have to take you out."

"What?" Zell gurgled, thinking all of this to be a sick joke. He then realized how deadly serious Quistis was when he saw her uncoiling the Save The Queen. And though his mind was still groping for answers, he nevertheless assumed a battle stance. It had always been Zell's style to strike first and ask questions later. Even if it was against a comrade of his who had apparently turned deranged.

"I don't know what your game is, Quisty. But you should know I ain't one who'd take a beating just like that!"

"I haven't even started yet, Zell."

Quistis abruptly stopped herself. Was she being too carried away? Why in the world was she playing on Zell's aggressive behavior?

Tactical maneuvers, she later realized. Her instinct for battle had taken over and automatically began to analyze her adversary. And she heard her psyche hollering out. Exploit his weakness. Quistis had exhausted many hours trying to teach Zell to contain his emotions in battle. Nothing like a gladiator with a thinning patience to make for a really quick fight, she frequently told him. And now, she was planning just that: cloud Zell's judgment with his naturally impetuous demeanor to take away the edge from the deadliest hand-to-hand combatant in Garden.

Still, easier said than done, as proven by Zell's quickness when he suddenly lunged at her. She wasn't exactly taken by surprise, but Quistis still had to scramble to avoid the straight cut that he unleashed toward her. Chunks of granite flew off from the spot where his gloved fist made contact. He wasn't holding back, she thought. Making someone lose his patience had always been a double-edged sword, especially if that someone wielded the kind of brute strength that Zell possessed.

A mere instant elapsed after Quistis made her side step, after which she immediately retaliated with a boot in Zell's midsection. She quickly took a couple of steps back while watching him double up in pain.

"Ugh what's going on Quisty? Why're you turning against us?" He voiced out amidst labored heaves of breath.

She desperately wanted to tell him about the prophecy, about the words of an ancient soothsayer that declared their deaths in the hands of the one they were tasked to hunt down. But Quistis knew exactly how Zell would react to this. And she just didn't have the time to implore them to back down. All she could do was offer curt words of apology for the deed she was about to commit.

"I'm so sorry." She muttered before unleashing her foot towards him again. 

To her surprise, strong hands suddenly jutted out and slapped a tight grip on her ankle. And before she could react, Zell twisted her leg forcefully. Quistis simultaneously rolled with the motion but in the process crashed on the ground face-first. She felt the salty taste of blood in her mouth. But better that than a dislocated knee, she thought. She was still reeling from the pain when his hands aggressively grabbed her by the arms.

"All right, instructor. Let's be nice little bondage girls and let our friends know what the hell's going on in that pretty little head of yours, shall we?"

"Not today, Zell." 

Quistis suddenly threw her head back hard and hit him squarely over the eyes. Recoiling from the impact, a dazed Zell touched his eyebrows to feel blood gushing out from a seven-inch cut above his right eye. The warrior's face then assumed a spiteful scowl as his patience effectively emptied.

This was the chance she was waiting for. And as her enraged colleague charged against her with a frightful roar, Quistis swiftly rolled to the side at the same time lashing out with her bullwhip. The tough, elongated weapon whistled as it coiled itself around Zell's legs and pulled it together violently. Another mighty tug from the instructor sent Zell hurtling face-first on the ground, with the upsetting sound of a loud thud echoing to end the battle.

She stood up, limping as she made her way toward her fallen comrade. She couldn't deny the anxiety that subsequently overwhelmed her when she saw the fresh batch of the scarlet fluid seeping out from an ever bigger cut along Zell's forehead. Quistis moaned repentantly, wishing that she didn't have to be that brutal in dealing with her friends. But she also knew she didn't have much choice since the junctions they wielded provided them with augmented endurance and resistance from injuries. She had no recourse but to show extreme prejudice. Quistis tenderly touched Zell's forehead while casting just enough curative magic to make the bleeding stop.

The instructor then felt a blunt pain along her left leg; Zell must have twisted it real bad. Add to that the fact that she had grown exhausted from all this sneaking around. Quistis whimpered. She still had Seifer and Squall to deal with. Seifer and Squall, the two most feared operatives of Garden other than herself. Knowing her limits, she honestly didn't know if she could prevail over them. And at this point, she knew that if she was to overcome the odds, she had to utilize the element of surprise to the fullest. That was the only ace left tucked inside her proverbial sleeve.

"Well, well! What do we have here?"

"Oh no!" She muttered. She didn't even hear him come.

"I admit that I don't have much love for Chicken-wuss here, instructor." Seifer shot out from behind her. "But it still makes me wonder what the hell you're up to. Are you trying to give me a run for my money?"

Quistis bellowed a fatigued groan. 

"So much for the element of surprise"

**End of Chapter Six**

* _**The Fourth Universe**_ (http://members.tripod.com/DarkDimensionJM/tfu.htm)


	8. Chapter 7

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

He had reason to be proud of himself. Four doctorate degrees in astrophysics, chemistry, paranormal biology and geology gave him those reasons. A man of unreserved passion for his trade, he had found it convenient and even necessary to skip over the usual nuances of what an ordinary life offered, in favor of his pursuit for excellence in his craft. He considered himself one of the best, an asset that his employers negotiated hard to acquire. He believed they could never do without him.

But that was before they unceremoniously terminated him.

Fools they are, he had come to believe since then. Stupid, intractable oafs who did not know talent when it stared them in the face. Arrogant, insensitive dolts who cared nothing for his dreams. Who thought of nothing but their insufferable penchant to solve problems by looking for one to land the blame on. That debacle wasn't in any way his fault. Whoever approved to accommodate those self-worshipping youths who believed they know everything should be the one who blamed. Whoever gave that questionable authorization was at fault. Not him. And they had the gall to single him out as the one who had to answer to that ugly incident that nearly gave back the world one of its most despicable tyrants.

He'd be damned to not give them back the grief they caused him.

The scorned man stared intently at the one before him, the one who claimed he could provide him with the means for retribution. He looked at the hefty individuals shrouded in shadows. He couldn't see his face. But that hardly mattered. What was important was his ability to make good with his words.

"Name your price, and whatever you will ask of me is as good as done."

The one in the shadows laughed.

"Really, my friend. You cannot dream to have whatever it is that can entice me, so do not pursue your crass intent on patronization by asking for my price'."

"What is it you want, then?" He came back perplexedly. 

"On the contrary, I'm the one who will pay you for your services, as well as provide you with the means to achieve your dreams of revenge."

He smiled. Things couldn't have been more amicable for him. 

"Is that why they call you the dream-giver? You provide dreams for everyone angry enough to put his foot down in trampling everything that he used to believe in, for the sake of revenge."

"Oh yes, yes." Chuckled the man in concealment. "I am the dream-giver. In more ways than you think possible. In a lot more ways"

----------

The shimmering green glow had just dissipated from Zell's head after Quistis healed his wound with a Cure spell. As the surroundings went dark once more, Quistis looked up to observe from the tattered ceiling of the tomb-maze that the moon's silvery face had risen to its highest point in the night sky. Normally, her behavior towards this nocturnal occurrence was that of celebration. Even in her grimmest moments, the view of the moon's resplendent face always managed to uplift her spirit somehow. But today, it only meant she had lost her stealth edge as the bright rays vanquished the darkness she had been hiding into for the last hour.

That hardly mattered now, though. Seifer already found her.

"So what'd the deal, instructor? You sold us out? What's with this traitor business?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I explain it to you, Seifer." She retorted while lifting herself up. "And I suppose it'd be useless for me to ask you to just stand down and let me be."

"You're right, it's useless." Seifer shot back. "And frankly, I'm really not interested if you have a valid explanation or not. Just wondering if our highly esteemed instructor has finally gone nuts and betrayed Balamb Garden. Why, you're even making me look like an amateur."

There are a limited number of things that get a rise out of Quistis. For one thing, she doesn't approve of the Garden staff intruding into her personal life. Headmaster Cid aside, Quistis just couldn't agree with the clamor of some obnoxious faculty members who advocated the concept of full disclosure of their activities outside of Garden business. Sometimes, she just couldn't avoid thinking that these nosey individuals may have other intentions in mind aside from the professed rational of safeguarding Balamb Garden interests with that rather outrageous proposition.

Another thing that has the propensity to irk her was the allegation that she was too friendly to her students to the point of spoon-feeding them when it came to intra-curricular activities. Yes, she liked milling with her pupils and treating them as near-equals. She was also criticized frequently by the senior faculty staff for her practice of privately tutoring some of the weaker students. And Quistis had time and again opposed these criticisms ferociously, stressing the lesson that they all should have learned after the ill fate that befell Mairi Celandine *.

Being accused as a traitor was the third one. As the most deathly loyal citizen of Balamb Garden, any insinuation of betrayal can easily make her see red. And in this instant, it did exactly that.

"I never thought it would amount to anything if I tried to explain my reason, Seifer." Quistis exclaimed. "That's why even though I hated it, I had to go around attacking my friends from behind. I know they would never see it my way. And let alone you."

A loud crack exploded when she snapped her bullwhip against the ground.

"And it will do you well NOT to question my loyalty!"

Another sharp thunder blasted out as the bladed tip of the Save the Queen broke through the sound barrier. Seifer's spiteful smirk suddenly disappeared as his arms instinctively raised the Hyperion to protect him from Quistis' onslaught. The shockwave almost jolted him when his blade met her bullwhip.

"My, aren't we feisty today!" He chortled falsely. 

But another impact from the whip jarred his composure, completely erasing his smugness as it forced him to assume a protective stance while the instructor attacked relentlessly. He almost regretted his condescending remark. Seifer wasn't exactly used to being on the defensive in a fight, and he certainly wasn't accustomed to seeing Quistis this enraged. He realized that he struck a very sensitive nerve this time.

Still, he was not one to be easily cowed. Regaining his composure, Seifer allowed his warrior's instinct to take over, meeting one of Quistis' swings with an equally forceful counterattack that almost knocked the flexible weapon from her grip. The power of his counter-swing staggered the instructor back and forced her to use her aching left leg to regain her balance. Quistis winced when a sharp pain ran through her appendage.

"So is this it, Quistis?" Seifer snidely rang out. "Have you finally realized it's just not worth wasting your life in Garden while harboring all these wishes that your favorite student finally see you for what you really are?"

Quistis barely avoided another onrush of the deadly Hyperion, ducking just in the nick of time to allow the blade to strike a defenseless wall. She quickly wobbled away just as a shard nicked her shoulder. 

"I've always thought you for a fool, you know." He continued while going after her. "Even you can't deny the kind of sight you enjoy everyday with your students either drooling or swooning over you. Boys and girls, all jockeying for position to get to your good side. And what are you doing in return?"

Seifer pressed one more assault, with Quistis using all her strength to parry his spinning strike. 

"You're ignoring the glaring evidences that you're perhaps the most loved person in Garden, just because of some jerk who couldn't differentiate between you and a cafeteria table."

"What the hell do you care?!?" She shot out with a backhand against his face. Seifer recoiled back, stunned but at the same time pleased. He nonchalantly wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. 

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't care." He quipped. "Maybe I shouldn't bother with your idiosyncrasy of torturing yourself for an endeavor that isn't yours to pursue."

He flung his fist against her, and this time, the gradual ebbing of Quistis' strength took its toll on her, as she became too weak to dodge. Seifer's knuckles landed with a reverberating smack against the instructor's face.

"But I do. I do care. And do you know why, dear instructor?" He continued, his voice starting to assume an indignant tone. "Because everytime I see you groping for a dream that isn't yours, I'm always reminded of my own pursuit for a dream that wasn't mine! Everytime I see you in that pathetic state, I remember myself being the enemy. I remember acting like a trying hard, idiotic sorceress' knight, and all the grief I caused because of it!"

Her brows met. Was Seifer admitting a guilt that she thought he never felt? Was he finally giving in to remorse for the shameful misdeeds that he committed? Quistis collected herself, deeming it untimely to think about his misgivings. Mustering what little strength she had left, Quistis lunged at Seifer and buried her knees into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He folded up in throbbing pain while trying desperately to catch his breath all the while continuing to spew out his bitter indignation.

"You always had to remind me of this always had to make me think of everything that was lost because of my delusions. You simply just won't quit making me wonder what it'd be like if I didn't become the enemy."

"What?" Quistis stuttered. Her momentary lapse proved to be her undoing when Seifer suddenly rose up to strike with a jolting punch up her chin, sending her hard against the granite escarpment. The instructor struggled desperately to stay conscious, gritting her teeth violently even as she felt blood flowing down the back of her neck.

"You always had to drum it into my thick skull that if not for what I did, Rinoa and I would still be together!!!"

Rinoa? Seifer's agonizing over Rinoa? She didn't even expect it, what with her memories of his baneful attempt at casting the girl he professed to have loved once before the reviving form of the tyrant sorceress of Esthar. She never even thought he had it in him to care this deeply about someone. Hell, she didn't even think he cared about his self-styled posse. All she knew about Seifer, aside from the fact that she was with him back in the orphanage, was his cold and calculating nature as a warrior.

Quistis had always considered Seifer her equal notwithstanding the fact that he was once her student. A warrior almost without peer, the intrepid Almasy was counted as one of the few who had been genuinely gifted with the art, as if it was one of his birthrights. Arguably, the only other person who surpassed him by a half-rung is the illustrious Squall Leonhart, but even this claim had not gone uncontested. Seifer had always been poetry in motion in the battlefield: pure skill, sheer courage and cold efficiency. And though she normally wouldn't question her own capability, Quistis had enough sense never to underestimate her opponents. Much more Seifer himself. She had never tried scrimmaging with him, and she honestly didn't know if she was powerful enough to beat him in a fair fight. At best, Quistis could only hope for a stalemate. One that she just could not afford at the moment in light of present circumstances.

On the other hand, one of the reasons why she was considered the best was her penchant to undermine her adversaries' Achilles heels. Zell's was his hot-blooded impulsiveness. Seifer's was his inimitable loftiness. He may believe that he was the best, and he may have reason to. But even the best of them still has a kink in his armor. And for the last tormenting minutes, Quistis had been talking to him, goading him into a mistake that she hoped could be taken advantage of. Inadvertently, she uncovered a hidden pain in his heart, that of his silent longing for the past to come back together with his former place in the heart of the same girl she envied so much: Rinoa. 

The instructor almost pitied the frustrated knight. They have a lot more things in common than she previously thought. But now wasn't the time for pity. Only action. And she had to push herself to the limit once more in enduring the kick he planted in her upper torso.

"Auggh!" Quistis wailed in pain, feeling the unmistakable throbs of a fractured rib. Perhaps reminding Seifer of his heartache wasn't such a good idea after all. She had never seen him fight this ferociously. 

"Let me give you a bit of advice, instructor. You're bankrupt in this betrayal business so just give it a rest, all right? You're too much of an altruist. Taking it easy on me is definitely not the way to win."

"What's he doing?" She asked in her mind. It was either Seifer was turning the tactical tables on her, using the same strategy she had been employing against him or he's simply provoking her to lose her patience. And in her weakened state, she knew that whether Seifer was exercising his own brand of tactical maneuvers or merely wanted to juice out more challenge from her was already immaterial. She can't afford to give in to his needling. She'd most surely lose.

The golden bullwhip once again lashed out, intending to capture Seifer's legs in its unbreakable coils. Ignoring the pain in his right knee, Seifer abruptly made a leap to avoid the rushing weapon even as Quistis made her move again. The Save the Queen whirled in the stale air, relentlessly pummeling the obstinate Almasy who was once more forced into a defensive stance. And Quistis knew she shouldn't be doing this, trying to match fire with fire in this draining battle with the proud warrior. But in her fatigued state, she could hardly come up with any new idea. 

A Firaga assault again threw the instructor back.

"It's over, Quistis." Seifer spoke out with contempt. "I don't usually take prisoners, I'm sure you know that about me. But in your case, I'll make an exception. If you surrender now, I promise I won't cripple you."

"Not on your life!" Quistis blurted out. Without warning, her bullwhip exploded into action once more as she powerfully snapped her wrist to send the bladed tip into a direct path toward Seifer's face.

He nonchalantly cocked his head to the right, and the whip hit nothing but the granite wall, wedging its sharp edge deeply into it. Seifer once again mocked the instructor.

"Missed."

"Nope!"

Quistis suddenly tugged hard, pulling her weapon free and took with it a huge slab of rock that subsequently hit Seifer hard at the back of his head. His knees instantly wobbled after the impact.

She immediately took the advantage, throwing all caution down the drain while unleashing a staggering round house that hit Seifer's lower midsection. Quistis groaned in frustration while watching him double up in pain. She was really aiming for his face, but the restricting dimension of her vermilion pencil-cut obstructed her movement. Without hesitation, Quistis ripped her skirt off and tossed it behind her, after which she hurled her booted foot again. A soft thud emanated when Seifer collapsed on the ground.

"Hhh watching all those Batman movies does pay off." A voice resonated from behind her. Quistis didn't have to turn around, she already knew it was Squall who was speaking to her.

"And for once, I have to agree with Seifer. I can see at least fifteen different ways to disable you from this position, instructor. So I suggest you save us both the grief and give up."

It seemed she wasn't the only one fascinated by the exploits of the comic book hero, the instructor thought. She would have savored the hilarious irony were they only not faced with a grim situation. But this time, she felt she had to let him know of this. For some reason that she wasn't exactly oblivious to, Quistis just couldn't bear keeping Squall in the dark.

"You have no idea the kind of danger you all face, Squall." She began. "If I don't do this, you will surely die. All of you."

"And what are you trying to do? Save us from this monster that a sketchy prophecy decreed will kill a legion who's also destined to destroy it? And since when did you start allowing old ladies' tales to affect your judgment?"

He knew. 

"How did you?"

"I saw this scroll inside that tomb, Quistis. It looks at least a hundred years old, but it doesn't necessarily lend any credence to this prophecy you seem to be hinging your faith on too much."

"You don't understand, Squall!" She exclaimed with a desperate voice. "I've seen things. I saw visions and omens that could only mean one thing. If we battle this creature together, we will all die! And you know I can never allow that to happen!"

"So you're going off to fight this creature alone? And what assurance do you have that you can beat it all by yourself? The way I see it, your logic is just as naïve as this prophecy you allowed to push you into betraying us. If he really has the power to kill us, then that means you're doomed to die alone if you insist on facing the monster all by yourself."

Quistis turned around to face Squall. She tried to talk, but seeing his skeptic attitude, she subsequently became gripped with doubt on his ability to believe her being the chosen one to conquer the destroyer.

"And you know I can never allow that to happen." Squall followed up. Quistis was startled at his words.

"What do you care?" Her choking voice rang out. "For the last two months, you've been treating me like some unwanted stranger whom you had no choice but to tolerate. What do you care if I die?"

Squall was caught off-guard by her aching repartee. He wanted to tell her that it was merely a dutiful penchant of a leader to watch over his charges. But deep inside, he knew there was something amiss, he just couldn't put a finger on it **.

"Because you're my teammate, and I believe you shouldn't be asking my stand in this." He subsequently voiced out the conviction that he knew was incomplete.

"Never mind" She trailed off. "Choose not to believe me if you must. But you also must know that I will do whatever I believe is right for the safety of my friends."

"Then you also leave me no choice." Squall replied with resignation. He then unsheathed the Lionheart. "Though I really wish you'd reconsider, Quistis. You're in no shape to fight me."

He was right, she thought. After taking down five of her comrades, Quistis was exhausted. There was absolutely no way that she can beat Squall in her fatigued condition.

However, a lurking shadow behind the SeeD commander eventually rendered the point moot. Squall didn't even hear the onslaught coming as a rapid-fire of chops, punches and kicks pummeled him mercilessly. When the whirlwind assault relented, the SeeD commander became relegated to a hurting and confused neophyte who had seemingly been run over by a pack of stampeding Wendigos.

"Damn, you're tougher than I thought." Hunter murmured, watching Squall as he refused to give up the rather one-sided battle. The black-clad mercenary swung his weapon toward the blurry image of his opponent, and hit nothing but air. A simple sideward kick then disarmed him.

Hunter walked over to Squall and positioned his fist in front of the SeeD's chest.

"The one-inch punch. It'll hurt like hell, but at least it's not gonna break your bones or anything."

A deafening thunderclap rang out. Quistis bit her lips as Squall careened to the other end of the corridor. After the melee, she turned her attention annoyingly toward Hunter. Her disdain was replaced with mild perplexity when she saw the look on his face.

"What?"

"Quistis could you kindly... put your skirt on? You have to realize that I'm not in any way a saint, so..."

She almost blurted out laughing despite the slight embarrassment she felt for standing partially naked before the amusingly nervous warrior. And after strapping on her skirt, Quistis once again turned toward Hunter with a serious facade.

"So where were you? I could have been killed here."

"Come on, you don't really expect your friends to seriously hurt you."

"No, but that's not the point." She bellowed. Hunter immediately stopped tying Seifer up to focus his attention to her. "I needed your help. If the threat is that huge as you claimed it, you should have at least given me a hand here."

If he weren't wearing a helmet, Quistis would have seen the wry smile that became painted on his lips.

"Would you really have wanted me to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come now, Quistis. I saw the look on your face while I was beating the crap out of this guy here." He furthered his sarcastic tone while pointing at Squall's unconscious form. "I figured if you wanted your friends taken out, you wouldn't trust anybody else to do it for fear that they might be hurt more seriously than they ought to."

She didn't reply anymore, conceding to his accurate assessment of her sentiments. Deep inside, Quistis was surprised with Hunter she had never met anyone who immediately developed a rapport with her. As Squall previously attested, she was just so hard to get along with.

A sharp pain shot out from her chest that brought a moan out from her. Hunter again left his chore to immediately attend to the ailing instructor. He noted her hand clutching the right portion of her chest before gently removing it to put his own hand on the same spot. He pressed softly, bringing Quistis to a labored grimace.

"A broken rib, but not too serious."

"Yeah, right" She sighed. "It hurts like hell!"

"Will you quit whining like a baby?" He chuckled. "This can be easily patched up so don't worry, all right? I'm gonna take good care of you."

"Well, you better"

He wasn't exactly expecting that soft rejoinder from her. Hunter looked up, and saw the tender gaze on Quistis' magically mesmerizing sapphire eyes. At that very moment, he saw in her the resplendent face of the queen who had begun to reign supreme in the deepest domains of his soul.

**End of Chapter Seven**

* * *

* My good friends and colleagues, **Astarte** and **Brightangel**, are working on a FF8 story that chronicles the circumstances surrounding Mairi Celandine's fate. Titled **_The Purity Gradient_**, it's now ongoing in **FFOnline.com.**

** Author's note: this could be a lingering effect of the events that transpired in **_True Destiny._**


	9. Chapter 8

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Eight**

The dreadful echoes of his ferocious cries rang out far and wide, disturbing even the tranquility of a distant Chocobo forest. The throes of his hunger mixed with the rage in his black heart as he approached the last village in his path prior to the approach to the vast desert of Kashkabald. He looked around with fierce, glowing eyes at the quiet settlement. Everything seemed to be in order except for the fact that no one stirred within its borders save for a stray dog or two. The village had been abandoned by its population, and he can only guess what transpired. The selfish humans made a move to deprive him once more of his sustenance.

Sizzling crimson hellfire shot forth from his burning eyes and leveled the entire town, leaving nothing that wasn't consumed in his vision's infernal path. In his immense deprivation, the entity of old legends bent down to scoop a handful of earth, after which he brought the filthy bounty to his mouth. A desperate call to satiate his craving for tainted souls.

He then noticed an anomaly. Drawing a whiff of smoldering air into his nostrils, the soul reaper filtered the scent of nearby spirits that still inhabited their human hosts. Turning southward, he saw the approach of a group of middle-aged women whose faces reflected the lack of meaning in their lives. These women, who had heard of his renown from their hidden lair, came to offer homage to the destroyer. He saw into their souls and found them unfit for consumption. Theirs were much too single-minded.

But before he could exhale another death call, the leader of the congregation came near him with the utmost of reverence.

"Mighty lord of the spirits, we give you tribute." Began the old lady. "I plead you lend a merciful ear to our oppressed cries."

In spite of his anger, the armored entity smiled.

"Useless old hag, had you known what I will do to you, would you still have come before my presence?"

"My lord, I would accompany you to the gates of Hades if need be." Her trembling voice returned. "And I, and ten of my sisters ask of nothing but your gracious provision."

He was now amused. So much that he lost his perennial desire to murder. For now, at least.

"State your request, and I may grant it in recognition of your foolish audacity."

"We of the Temple of the Distant Sisters, who have witnessed the shortcoming of fate that allowed our mistress to meet her demise, seek only to serve you, my lord. Make us your slaves. Make our destiny complete with our unreserved servitude for the glory of the dark force."

Demented zealots, he thought. Souls too devout for a good meal and therefore, useless in its raw states. But they wish to become slaves. Why not, he subsequently thought. It wouldn't hurt him to have a contingent of thralls just in case.

Blinding black plumes of smoldering smoke spewed out from his acrid mouth; thick fumes that reeked of pure lies and blood-scented corruption. The smoke reached out and subsequently consumed the cadre of mistresses dedicated to the service of the unlit truth. And however dark the proverbial ghost that animated their new master, thus did their souls became as Cimmerian. Their outer shells relinquished the hue of humanity, giving way to the unsightly splendor of twisted and distorted flesh, skin and bone that decorated their new bodies. In the blink of an eye, whatever was left of their humanity became lost in the murky world of Hadean carnage. And their minds became fused with that of the devourer. Shrill cries flung far and wide as the empowered congregation declared unwavering fealty to the glutton of human spirit.

However, the squeals from toxic lungs mixed with moans of suffering. Their souls may have been spared from consumption, their lives may have found new meaning. But in their dark hearts subsequently rested the ominous fear born of crossing the gates from where retreat was not anymore possible. Celebration became one with mourning as hateful dread declared dominion over their damned souls.

----------

"Quisty, are you all right?"

Hunter's voice was replete with anxiety as he echoed out that curious question. He had previously been marveling at the unusual steadiness of the dragon craft that lifted off from the terrain surrounding the Tomb of the Unknown King a couple of minutes ago, where they left bound the crew of SeeDs whom they chose to disable in an endeavor to preserve their lives. He wasn't exactly new to technology as he himself wielded some impressive gadgets of his own. Yet the beauty of the eighteen-year old Estharian space shuttle still overwhelmed him. The world had indeed advanced by leaps and bounds since he last slept.

But the silence of the instructor brought his astonished disposition to a halt. She wasn't like this before they left her comrades behind the petrified throne that used to be occupied by the earth Guardian, Sacred. Hunter even thought he sensed a kind of lilting mood in Quistis before he suggested a measure to ensure her friends' safety, upon which the instructor complied by leaving Diablos junctioned to Squall to prevent them from being detected by the monsters running loose in the tomb.

That may be it, he surmised.

"You still feel bad about them, don't you?"

"Well, doh!" Quistis shot back. "It's not exactly the best feeling in the world to leave your own friends tied up like that." She then resumed her silence after that snide remark.

"I know I'm sorry. I just hope you're not blaming me for forcing you into this position."

"Blame you?" She began anew. "You know what, Hunter, I'm really trying not to. But how do you expect me to feel? You come into my room and spout out all this balderdash about me and my friends dying if we face this enemy that according to you, have been damning souls for ages. Then I don't know what you did after that. Maybe you somehow injected me with some sort of hallucinogen to make me see all those visions just so I can be convinced. Now, I ended up attacking my friends. MY FRIENDS! And believe me, I don't exactly feel like looking at things in a positive light right now. Who knows what kind of elaborate trap you're sending me into?"

Hunter felt slightly disenchanted by Quistis' scornful speech, but he decided against playing up to her ire.

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I don't know I'm not sure what to believe anymore" The instructor returned softly. She however immediately reversed herself. Ever since she had met up with this masked stranger, Quistis had been sensing her defenses crumbling before his disarming aura. She wanted to fault herself at what appeared to be an uncharacteristic naivete on her part for initially thinking that his gentleness was getting to her. She even went one step further when she remembered the careless remark she muttered prior to his appearance inside her room:

"Whoever's destined for me let him come now. At this very moment."

Could he actually be her destiny? Who knows? She wasn't exactly one to subscribe to the notion of a soul mate after her spirit was crushed by the sight of her long time object of affection falling into another woman's arms. She had believed then that she will never find happiness, at least not of the romantic sort. 

And Quistis was half-hearted when it came to bizarre coincidences. On one side, they were just too bizarre so to speak, to be adjudged as outright random. But on the other, her attitude against anything superstitious also kept her from accepting that some things are meant to happen as declared by some god of fate and fortune. She had been trying to pound into her head that the comment she whispered before couldn't have triggered Hunter's arrival. And yet, as her conviction insisted, it was just too odd. What are the chances of someone actually coming into her room right after she whispered her heart's longing to meet her destiny?

Maybe he's some kind of a mind reader, she thought. Maybe he had been studying her all along, trying to find her weak spot. And again, she was confused.

"Who who are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know anything about you where you came from, what do you really do, who sent you, how old are you, when's your birthday, what are your parents' names, are you married"

Birthday? Parents' names?

Married?

Hunter chose not to raise the issue anymore to avoid embarrassing Quistis. But deep inside, he was elated by her apparent desire to know things about him that weren't exactly standard fare for a field partner dossier.

"I I don't even know what you look like" She furthered, her voice falling to a soft, melancholic tone. Hunter wasn't able to resist the urge anymore.

"Why do you want to know more about me?"

"Huh? Oh uhh" Quistis stammered, feeling the bout of embarrassment that Hunter earlier tried to keep her from feeling. "Because uhh like how am I supposed to trust you if you're always going to keep me in the dark?"

That was cheap, he thought with a smile. Hunter felt every fiber in his body jubilating to the possibility that Quistis might also be starting to like him.

However, his mood swung to that of anxious caution. In a way, the instructor had a point in at least wanting to see his face for her to be able to trust him. But part of his training demanded for him to maintain anonymity, so much that it had become almost painful to reveal his face to anyone. His conviction subsequently warred against his desire to surrender a delicate part of himself to this girl who, to his dismay, had already taken his heart captive.

But Hunter's reservation became an exercise in futility when Quistis suddenly snapped her bullwhip against his helmet, slicing it across the center. 

"Dammit you just destroyed my micro optics." He shot out while trying to keep his decapitated headgear in place. But he wasn't really mad about the loss of his equipment, not that he could insist otherwise. Hunter turned away from Quistis but her gentle hands pulled him by the shoulder and coaxed him to face her again. Letting out a resigned groan, he finally decided to take the helmet off.

He was thankful that the black headgear was air-cooled, or else his hair would have been soaking wet from the perspiration that would have drenched it from all that time he wore the helmet. It was bad enough that his face was exposed against his will, and the last thing that he needed right now was to appear unkempt in front of the pretty instructor. 

Still, Hunter couldn't help feeling shy as his jet black, straight hair fell freely over his forehead. His embarrassment was so immense that he couldn't bear to gaze back at her. In the process failing to see the look of pleasant surprise in Quistis' eyes as she observed the subtle tensing on the muscles along both sides of his jaw that gave his face a sort of solid yet tapering shape. And the uneasy flicking of his dark brown eyes from one side to the other to avoid meeting her gaze was almost magical in her sight, so much that the instructor found herself almost desperate for those garnet beads to lock with her own sapphire jewels.

Quistis brought a hand over her lips to cover her girlish smile. 

"Don't look at me like that" He muttered sheepishly. Quistis obliged and tried to assume a stoic look.

"All right, I want some answers."

"Okay, fire away."

"I want you to tell me who you are, and what your connection to this monsters is."

He sighed heavily before answering. 

"All right. First of all, you already know of this entity's origin that was related to the unknown king and his wife's rather painful betrayal."

"Yeah, that part I already figured out. And I also understand you're the descendant of the king's knights that first fought this creature."

"The first of three generations of knights, or Hunters, depending on what term appeals to you more. But let me tell you first about the enemy. He was or is what old folks call an incubus."

"An incubus?" Quistis remarked in awe. Having studied paranormal history as part of Garden's advanced curriculum, the instructor was well aware of the ancient being feared for its insatiable appetite for the human lifeforces, or souls as how she believed it. One reference book even described the being as one of a whole race of soul devourers who fought and were vanquished by unnamed warriors rumored to be commissioned by Hyne's spirit itself. These warriors, according to ancient tomes, were the first to be equipped with the one power effective against the creatures that took pride from their vaunted immortality. Unfortunately, the books she read did not contain the information regarding that one power.

"So what you're saying," She followed up, "is this monster is just one of many?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a monster." Hunter replied. "This creature thinks and feels like a human, and the only thing that sets it apart is he derives his life from the souls that he consumes. Kinda like a vampire of spirits, only with the power of a sorceress. And legends say that thought they were a race, all but one of them were vanquished by a legion of Hyne's servants that wielded their one weakness."

"And what might that be?" Quistis asked.

"Earth."

"Earth? As in the elemental earth?"

"Yep. These warriors, who allegedly evolved from Hyne's own essence, destroyed the clan of the soul devourers. But they themselves suffered massive loss. In the end, there were only six left: Titan, Sacred, Minotaur, Vulcan, the Tetra-beast Kjata and the pack commander of the warrior hounds, Fenrir."

"Interesting" She mumbled, having in knowledge the eventual fate of four of the six Hunter mentioned. "And the warriors themselves became what is now known as Guardian Forces. I happen to junction two of them well, Rinoa usually does until I took it from her just before. Then Marcus has Titan, and Kjata is currently listed with the Garden GF reserve. But I've never heard of Vulcan or Fenrir."

"Well, believe me, they're there."

"I never said they weren't!" Quistis snapped back with a pout. Hunter didn't know whether to feel amused or alarmed, if not for the smirk she subsequently flashed at him.

"Oh man, this is definitely not included in my assessment of your behavior." He said, shaking is head. "You always mess with guys like this?"

"Mr. Hunter, you have never seen me mess with a guy." She answered, looking straight into his eyes. The dark warrior almost felt weak-kneed. 

"Uhh whatever. ANYWAYS," He shot out, "though the earth Guardians were successful in defeating the incubi clan, they missed the opportunity to put the shackles on their leader who, for some reason, disappeared all of the sudden. His name suddenly vanished from written records until"

"Until the unknown king summoned him."

"That's right. Because of what he did, the king was forced by conscience to surrender his soul to eternal imprisonment. Partly to save himself from his own handiwork, and also to atone for his sin. And to ensure that his punishment was carried out, no less than two of the primeval warriors who bled in the battle against the incubi took it upon themselves to guard his tomb."

"The Brothers" She quipped. "And I thought I already knew everything about Guardian Forces."

"Apparently, you still know quite little. You weren't even aware of the repercussions of freeing the unknown king from his prison."

Quistis couldn't help raising an eyebrow while realizing the level of knowledge he had about her.

"How much do you know about me anyway?"

"Just enough to do my job. That is until" He suddenly stuttered, wondering why he was compelled to let her know that he held information about her that was way more adequate than what was required for his mission. Maybe he just wanted to let her know that he had been watching her closely? But why?

"Until you started having a crush on me?" The instructor playfully added.

It was then Hunter's turn to elevate an eyebrow. "Why, aren't we the modest one." He remarked in jesting.

"Hmph! Why should I let Rinoa do all the flaunting? I am more popular than her anyway."

"Rinoa? You mean that girl with black hair, blue what's-is-called" He faded slightly, mildly ashamed for his general ignorance to female wardrobe, "and the blinding legs? Man, she is cute, isn't she?"

Quistis' facade suddenly grew dark after that careless remark by Hunter.

"All right." She said while reaching inside her pocket. "Here's a gil. Go buy yourself someone else to talk to!"

"What the" A dumbfounded Hunter stammered as the instructor suddenly turned her back on him and proceeded back to the pilot's seat. As he approached her, the flustered warrior noticed her scowling face and the arms crossed tightly against her chest -- a perennial display of vexation typical to a girl who wouldn't talk to her beau even if his head was about to be swallowed by an Anacondaur. He grew worried about her behavior, but at the same time felt a tingling sense of flattery.

"I never knew you were the jealous type." He echoed in attempting to push in some levity. Quistis didn't answer, and instead unhinged the main bolt of the co-pilot seat before pushing it down to the floor. Hunter glared at her gesture, now seriously wondering if she was indeed jealous. And much as he wanted to thrill at the possibility, he also knew that this wasn't by any means a good way to kick-off a possible relationship.

SeeD or not, instructor or no, mercenary or otherwise, Quistis was first and foremost, an eighteen-year old girl. A girl that needed to be appeased with the utmost of care at every turn, whenever the situation called for it.

Or rather, whenever the opportunity presented itself.

But how? It had been so long since he last charmed himself past a girl's ire. And for the first time in years, Hunter didn't know what do.

But that was before he struck on an idea. Turning himself back to her, the dark warrior uttered curt words that completely destroyed the instructor's irate mood.

"Did I tell you I'm already one hundred and thirty-one years old?"

**End of Chapter Eight**


	10. Chapter 9

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Nine**

She had always bragged that adventure was her middle name. Ever since second grade, Captain Andrea Frost of the Esthar Kashkabald Army Outpost had been showing tremendous potential in the field of military tactical operations that her parents just can't help but enroll her to Trabia Garden. And living true to form, she excelled in almost every field that included personnel mobilization, espionage, surveillance, cartography, weaponry and explosives, hand-to-hand combat and logistics, among others. Her leadership skills had been cited as exemplary, as she had that uncanny ability to invoke unqualified loyalty from her charges under the grimmest of circumstances. Currently nineteen years of age, Captain Frost held the renown of one of the youngest senior officers in the Esthar Army, a reputation rivaled only by the late Geraldine Rivera, deceased commander of the ill-fated Squad Pi Alpha and the one Frost emulated.

Being a glutton for action, Captain Frost adamantly refused desk duty after the last Sorceress War. She had never seen herself one to be branded as a pencil pusher when she knew that even in peace, there was still much to be done for a soldier of her caliber. Her commanding officers couldn't help admiring her addiction to adventure after she successfully justified the necessity to station infantry units across the vast expanse of Esthar and Centra continents, what with the monster brought by the last Lunar Cry spreading like wildfire across the territories. Subsequently, an outbreak of Abyss worms and Chimeras led her to being stationed in the Kashkabald unit where she commanded a fairly small infantry and panzer force in a record breaking campaign, crushing the monster outbreak in just one week. Her exploits had achieved such nigh-legendary status that her methods had since become standard curriculum in the military academy she previously left in favor of the Esthar army. 

A month ago, Andrea Frost was complaining to her second-in-command how bored she had become. Esthar and Galbadia had just completed a treaty that seemed rock-solid, and past conflicts between the two superpowers had been relegated to a memory. And monster outbreaks had been brought under control due in no small part to her competence. It was almost ludicrous that she felt like sulking for having no one else to fight with. She'd consider hunting for Ruby Dragons in Lenown Plains, but her superiors refused to allow her to abandon her post.

But that was a month ago. A few days previous, her face lit up when General Ruth Pischke of Camp Tetsuo ordered her to mobilize her forces in preparation for a possible confrontation with the entity that had been wreaking havoc across Centra continent. She readily assigned the duty of evacuating endangered settlements to her assistant while she started drawing up plans for tracking and eventually battling the enemy. Her face was flush with excitement while looking at the satellite feed of the creature's predicted path based on the position of the villages that were most likely to attract its attention.

Now, she was dumbfounded. Carefully scrutinizing the map she drew up, Captain Frost couldn't figure out the entity's behavior. She had just noticed the other towns lying close to its path that went unharmed, as if it intentionally ignored them. And she had grown tired of calling up the intelligence division to confirm if the sat-photos they sent her were accurate. But then, there could be no mistake. She herself had visited some of these towns and therefore, could never doubt their existence. Then why did the soul devourer ignore these towns while in the process deviating enough from a straight-line course to turn his attention to others that she deemed less likely to be targeted settlements? What was so special about those particular villages?

Unwittingly, Captain Frost wished Deputy Commander Quistis Trepe were with her. She knew the outstanding SeeD operative from numerous missions they participated in together. For all her vaunted expertise, the army officer had to acknowledge her glaring lack of detective skills, something that the popular Balamb Garden instructor possessed in abundance. If Ms. Trepe were here, she thought, she would have solved the mystery in five minutes flat.

Which brought her to another line of thought. Included in General Pischke's briefing was the notice that SeeDs were en route to offer assistance. It had been close to twelve hours since she received the communiqué. So where are those SeeDs?

----------

"Excuse me?"

"I said, I'm one hundred and thirty one years old."

She looked at him quizzically. It was no secret that Quistis was perhaps the most loved figure in Balamb Garden, and in more ways than one. One of the perks of her popularity was having an army of admirers on her tail almost 24/7. And as such, she had already heard probably every pick-up line that can possibly be conceived. Of course, she seldom took any of them seriously, since among other things, her stature had rendered most of her male admirers rather intimidated. But still, she frequently got a kick from hearing all those lines meant to capture her fancy through humor.

She didn't know whether the statement Hunter uttered was inherently ingenious or just plain prosaic. But it was enough to elicit a fond laughter from her.

"What?" Hunter snapped out. Wary of offending him, Quistis tried to apologize in the midst of her amused disposition.

"I'm sorry, Hunter. But that has got to be one of the most original I've ever heard. Even Irvine would never think of something like that, and he's supposed to have written the instructional manual on pick-up lines."

"Oh, so you think this is all just some mundane blabbering to appease you?" He shot back. Quistis subsequently stopped laughing upon noting the seriousness of his facade.

"You You're not kidding?" She asked, her amused expression transforming gradually into a shade of puzzlement.

"Nope."

The instructor gazed at the intruder intently, as if measuring the credibility in his tone. She couldn't possibly believe his claim of being older than what his gentle face displayed. In her assessment, he may be older than her but not by that big a margin. He wouldn't even pass for a thirty-year old, she estimated. One hundred and thirty-one?

He saw the nagging question in her face. And much as he refused to do so, Hunter knew that he had come to a point from where he could never back out of anymore. Some force inside him compelled him to open up to her completely. He had already gone halfway through, so he might as well go all the way.

"The third generation of Hunters that fought the soul devourer was no other than me and the other descendants of the original knights. And they were my friends"

"So what happened?" She asked again, almost dreading his answer as she detected the immense weight in his words.

"I didn't tell you about the enemy's power that made him lord among his clan. What makes this spirit vampire special was his ability to enthrall people. There has to be some special condition in which he did this since an incubus' first instinct towards a human is that of consumption. So I don't know why he'd choose to use this facet of his ability to transform other people into zombies that did his bidding. But he did and"

Quistis thought she heard his voice choke a little. She then immediately guessed why Hunter had turned out alone despite the rather surprising confession that he had friends at some point.

"And the incubus turned your friends into his slaves"

"Yes" He muttered back. "And my my hands were forced. I could have sworn I heard it laughing when I took it upon myself to kill them. I thought that there was no other way to free them from the enthrallment so I killed them myself"

Her heart broke at the sound of his dismal voice.

"I don't know maybe I should have sought other ways to save them but I don't know." He continued somberly. "All I know is after that, my crusade had become personal. When I went after it, I wasn't anymore answering to my destiny. I just wanna slit his throat open and be done with it. But I can't. No matter what I did, it just kept coming back like an unstoppable force of nature."

"So how did you beat it?"

"I didn't. I couldn't. It was only later that the true context of the prophecy was revealed to tell me that I wasn't the one who was supposed to destroy the soul devourer. The dark sage of the lake told me that the chosen one wasn't supposed to come until one hundred years later. And until then, there wasn't anything left to do but to contain the soul devourer's hunger. I devised a plan to bury the entity under the earth. It wasn't destroyed, but at least its powers were held back."

"So if it was already imprisoned what are you doing here? And how come you're still alive after one hundred years?"

"The enemy was smarter than I thought. When the old king summoned it, it planted a fragment of its own essence into the king's. It knew that someday, someone would find a way to exploit its weakness. And in embedding a part of its spirit inside the king's soul, it was assured another lease at life in the off-chance that the king was freed from his prison."

She was puzzled at first, but eventually Quistis came to a realization of her role in the unfolding drama. She couldn't help feeling accountable for the carnage that transpired.

"My goodness, what have we been doing?"

"What do you mean?" Hunter quizzically replied.

"First there was Vesta. After we defeated her, subsequent investigations revealed that the cult who freed her wouldn't have found the back door to accomplish it if we hadn't called upon Diablos from the dark void. Now there's this incubus. One who would still be held in check if we had just left the Brothers alone. Hyne, what in the word have we done?"

She couldn't help thinking about what other plugs' they pulled out to unleash another possible menace. Quistis thought about Bahamut, and how his liberation opened a portal to an underground lair that would have unleashed Ultima Weapon to the world if they hadn't come down to fight it. And to think that they weren't even aware of its existence, with the compulsion to descend its dark crevices born only of pure curiosity. What about Cactuar? Tonberry? What manner of horror would come out next as a result of Doomtrain's return to the physical world?

"Hey, don't blame yourself." He gently echoed, kneeling beside Quistis. "I'm sure that whatever happened had been preordained. Besides, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew that it wasn't dead yet, and that if ever someone releases the king from his prison, it would also awaken the incubus and free him from the trap I set. So" He hesitated briefly. " I asked the old sage of the lake to cast a special kind of ice magic on me one that would put me into cryo-sleep. One with a failsafe designed to awaken me once the incubus revives from his hibernation."

"What?" Quistis shot back. She was aware of the old para-technology involving cryo-sleep and its hazards. She knew that even at this time, advocates of its use to medicine were vehemently opposed by those who claimed that it was too unstable for such purposes. Perhaps the only thing it proved itself vital during the last twenty years was the imprisonment of the late despot, Sorceress Adel. 

The fact the Hunter had the dangerous procedure applied on him scared her.

"Why in the world would you do something like that?"

Hunter's face hardened with deep indignation.

"I I wanted my revenge."

"H-How?"

"I wanted to be here when the chosen one finally comes. I wanted to see that wretched beast's death in his her hands."

There was so much hatred in his voice, but not something that made Quistis feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, all she sensed in her heart was pity for the man she was starting to regard deeply. She felt the pain in his heart that stemmed not only from seeing his friends' deaths, but more so was aggravated by the truth that it was his own hands that served as their executioner. Hunter was blaming the incubus for their demise, but he was also blaming himself. And only its complete destruction could possibly absolve him from self-reprisal.

"I I'm so sorry" She whispered, tenderly running her hand through his black hair. Closing his eyes, Hunter gently took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. Quistis felt her heart skip a beat when he kissed her fingers.

"Don't be." He uttered. "I used to think that that was the only purpose why I had to sleep one hundred years to reach this point. Vengeance. But no it wasn't."

Her heart drummed intensely while waiting for his next words.

"Perhaps it was fate." Hunter gently voiced out. "Perhaps I was meant to continue living for a hundred years so I could so I can meet you."

Quistis felt an onrush of deep joy that struck her being with tremendous impact. But this gladness was so immense it scared her. In all practicality, Hunter was a stranger to her, and yet she didn't know why she felt this way as if she had known him all her life. Her rational thinking held her back despite the screaming desire to just pull him close to her and hold him. She couldn't comprehend why everything was moving so fast.

"Hunter I I don't know what to say"

"Just just say you'll have me"

Hunter spoke with fear in his voice. However, his decision had been made. No longer did he dread the prospect of being turned away. All he knew was the intense longing to share the remaining of his life with her if only she'd have him. The adoring look in his eyes subsequently sent the message that this was meant to be. Quistis gazed into those eyes, and her heart heard their longing whispers.

There was now no mistaking in her mind that nothing was governed by chance. There was no denying the reason of that still voice bellowed from her heart and uttered by her hopeful lips. The words ushered in by destiny's hands that compelled a warrior from a century past to suspend the beating of his heart so that one day, that same life-giving rhythm would hum in unison with the one whose echoes were meant to share one song. A song heralding their souls' union.

The lyrics echoed in her mind. All it said was

" I will"

The irritating reverberations of the Ragnarok's radar echoed before her words did, and Quistis had to shake off her annoyance while turning her attention to the control panel. However, her displeasure turned to alarm upon seeing a pair of signals fast approaching the smallest of the concentric circles outlined on the radar face.

"Oh shoot! We've got incoming! Multiple bogeys approaching fast from the starboard side." She bellowed instinctively as if there was a co-pilot awaiting her command. Hunter quickly turned to his left and saw two fireballs rushing toward them.

"Dammit, it knows we're here!"

"Hunter, hold on! We're out of countermeasures so I'd have to try and outmaneuver them manually."

"I'm all the countermeasure you need." He blurted out. "Where can I step out?"

"What? What do you mean 'step out'?"

"I can't counterattack from inside this ship. I need to do it from the outside."

"Hunter, are you insane? We're currently moving at one thousand knots! It'd be suicide!"

"Just trust me, okay? Now where?"

Quistis hesitated for a moment before eventually giving in. She was worried that something might happen to Hunter, as coming out from a speedily moving aircraft wasn't exactly the most sensible thing to do unless he somehow knew how to fly. But something told her that he knew what he was about to do. If anything, so far as she had observed, he was probably one of the most efficient field operatives she had ever known.

"There's an airlock at the aft"

"'Aft'?"

"At the back end of the ship."

"All right, I got it." He quipped before running off. It didn't take long before the instructor saw the indicator light for the airlock starting to blink, indicating that the rear panel had been opened. She then felt the control stick of the Ragnarok staging a resistance as the opened airlock allowed violent winds to blow inside the ship and create a staggering turbulence. She braced her arms mightily in an attempt to keep the dragon ship on a steady course.

Meanwhile, Hunter was wishing he still had his headgear when he stepped out from the airlock. The force of the rushing winds were powerful and would surely have snapped his body in two if it hadn't been for the lifelong, intense training he was subjected to in honing his body and mind to absolute perfection. But even his superior, athletic build was hardly adequate to withstand the wind resistance. He hollered in agony, all the while struggling to focus his attention on the pair of rapidly approaching fireballs.

Carefully pulling out the Twin Jutte, the warrior subsequently crossed the blades with each other. At the moment of contact, the shimmering short swords began to emit thin ribbons of Holy magic that slowly grew in power. The crackling resonance of magical bolts grew more deafening, gradually building up into a white eruption of energy that then blazed violently toward the fireballs. A loud explosion rang out when the Holy attack destroyed the flaming spheres.

But there was no reason to celebrate yet, he thought when he saw six more of the same fireballs coming in from all sides. The incubus did not intend to take prisoners, he thought. And chances are, it already sensed his presence. But that was of little concern now in light of the dreadful tiding. Once again, Hunter crossed his Twin Jutte to generate more Holy energies. However, he realized that there was little time for a full charge as this batch of fireballs was speedier than the last one. He was then forced to release his attack even before charging was completed. It shot out, cutting a spectacular swath in the air en route to meeting the rampaging fiery globules.

The Holy bolts were two weak to cancel out the fireballs. Two slipped past the protective magic nets and continued on their way to the target. Hunter had merely a split second to descend back into the ship, but his body was thrown around like a rag doll when the fireballs made impact.

"Blast it!" Quistis exclaimed as she was jolted by the impact of the fire missiles. Pulling back hard, she tried to regain control of the Ragnarok, only to be horrified when she sensed that the elevator controls weren't responding.

"Oh no, we're going to crash!"

A few thousand feet below, his grin grew wide with jubilation. He still hungered, and yet the famished sensation took a back seat to the immense satisfaction that possessed him. The soul devourer watched in glee as the crimson dragon ship made a trail of black smoke as it plunged headlong toward the sandy plains of western Kashkabald. 

He knew his enemy was inside it. He would have wished for a face-to-face confrontation if only to land the final humiliation on the last of his tormentors. But he had more important business to attend to. And the ancient death-bringer would just have to content himself with the perception of his adversary's life coming to an end.

**End of Chapter Nine**


	11. Chapter 10

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Ten**

One of the first things a pilot keeps an eye on in an emergency situation is the aircraft's altimeter, a device the measures the distance between the aircraft and the ground below it. Normally, small dips in the altimeter's reading causes little alarm, as the vessel's cruising height can be easily influenced by such factors as wind resistance, turbulence and air pockets. A few feet on either direction do not usually warrant much attention, as long as the changes are not too abrupt.

The reading on the Ragnarok's altimeter was moving so fast that it could shame a slot machine. Quistis stared in horror as the gauge measurement dropped for a couple of hundred feet in less than five seconds. They were diving, and they were diving real fast. The tortured groans of metal being subjected under immense stress assaulted her ears as the immobilized elevator flaps fought from being torn apart by the immense pressure of the winds rushing toward them at a relative velocity of nearly two thousand miles per hour. It mixed horrendously with the shrill cries of a turbulence-battered fuselage, filling the cockpit with deafening whines as the Ragnarok plunged in bullet-like fashion toward the ground that was speedily rushing up to meet it.

The embattled instructor struggled to regain control of the disabled ailerons, but to no avail. At this speed, it would be a miracle for them to make it out of the resulting crash alive. Fighting desperately against the terror creeping into her, Quistis tried to remember the flight training she received from the Esthar space engineers a few weeks back. Eyes lighting up with a flicker of hope, she swiftly groped underneath the front panel to reach for the emergency retro-rocket switch. Slender fingers felt the unmistakable contours of a T-lever and consequently twisted it hard, causing the retro-rockets mounted on the dragon ship's mechanical claws to explode with violent flames and exhaust gases spewing forth to oppose its powerful thrust. Her body suddenly snapped forward with the Ragnarok's abrupt deceleration. 

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!" A loud shout rang out followed by a crashing sound that startled Quistis. She then gawked at Hunter, the lower half of his body sticking out from underneath the co-pilot's front control panel. 

"It would've been nice to have warned me before stepping on the brakes" He groaned while picking himself up. Quistis fought an urge to laugh.

"Sorry, but I had to slow us down somehow." She then stated. "But we're not out of the woods yet. Strap yourself somewhere and prepare for impact. Please follow emergency landing procedures as instructed by your flight crew."

"Ha-ha." Hunter mocked as he fastened his seat belts. His face then went back to its serious cast. "Can you still control this thing?"

"Hardly. The elevators are busted so there's no way to properly land this thing. The only thing that I still have right now is the rudder control." Quistis curtly answered. "Why? You have any ideas?"

"I was able to triangulate the position of our attacker from the direction those fireballs came from. If we're going to crash, we might as well do it on top of its sorry butt."

"Do you think that's it?" She asked. "The incubus?"

"I have no doubts." Hunter answered sullenly. "I felt its presence. And I'm sure it felt me too, that's why it attacked us."

Bad blood a century old, Quistis thought. She couldn't help wondering about the intense animosity between the shady warrior and the malevolent adversary. Her silent musing was interrupted when the external proximity sensor triggered frantic beeping sounds to alert them that there were only three thousand feet separating them from ground zero.

"Okay, here goes nothing!" She bellowed, pouring all her strength in turning the steering stick to the right. At the same time, the resourceful instructor alternated between flicking the left retro-rocket on and off to fine-tune their otherwise unstable descent. Vehemently resisting gravity's pull, the Ragnarok squealed in defiance as opposing forces threatened to tear it apart while it made a dangerous banking maneuver southward.

But the daring tactic worked. After a couple of twisting turns, they finally fixed their eyes on the mighty devourer of souls standing right in front of them.

"Center it!" Hunter hollered. "Make sure you hit it dead on!"

He gazed at them wide-eyed, not exactly expecting the bold maneuver they performed that brought their dragon ship into a direct collision course with him. And even though the soul reaper knew that it would take more than that to kill him, he still wasn't willing to absorb the impact of a half-ton juggernaut screaming towards him at speeds in excess of three hundred miles per hour. Red-hot fireballs fired anew from his hands to pulverize the scarlet space shuttle.

"Ohmigod!" Quistis exclaimed. In a desperate attempt to evade the hellish onslaught, she quickly reached again for the controls of the mechanical claws, turning them in an awkwardly perpendicular position to the aircraft. With one rocket thruster pointing up and the other jutting down, the Ragnarok began to spin like a top, its rapid rotation acting like a proverbial drill bit as it deflected the fireballs aside. The nauseating sensation Quistis and Hunter felt from the spin was so immense they thought they were literally turning inside out. Their tortured screams mixed with the squealing sound made by the aircraft's fast and twisting plummet.

The soul reaper's horrified groan became drowned in a thunderous impact as hundreds of pounds of massive fury struck him mercilessly, his chest area instantaneously caving in when the Ragnarok's nose rammed solidly into it. Viscous fluid of red and black hue discharged from his mouth like a geyser, decorating the transparent windshields with a repugnant, maroon shadow. Upon impact, inertia kept his legs from being dragged away with the body, and left the pair of limp appendages on its spot while pouring out blood and green pus all over the sandy terrain. The flailing left claw of the Ragnarok, now almost severed from its polymer joint, flung out to tear his right arm off. It flew off simultaneously with the mechanical limb that had decided to abandon its mounting.

And a tremendous explosion of sand and rocks staggered the surrounding area when the Ragnarok finally touched down hard on the desert ground. It nosed down and dug right into the layer of loose sediments, with the beleaguered soul devourer still snagged on its battered front cone. Dragged by its own momentum, the dragon vessel ploughed across nearly a mile of hot earth, toppling down rows of sturdy cacti and destroying scores of Abyss Worm mounds along its ill-fated path. It seemed to have taken forever, but finally, the out-of-control ship stopped after running through a cluster of rocks that broke its momentum. The ear-splitting chaos was then followed by unsteady silence.

A few moments elapsed, seconds that stretched to minutes, witnessing nothing but silence. Inside the Ragnarok's disheveled cockpit, the two warriors lay unconscious beside each other after the impact tore them off from the safety of their seatbelts. Another couple of minutes transpired before the dark intruder began to stir.

"Uuuhhh" He groaned, pain enveloping his entire body. Fighting off the ordeal, Hunter lifted his head, blinking his eyes rapidly as they struggled to accustom back to the stillness. Slowly, he turned to see Quistis' unconscious form lying next to him.

"Quisty you all right?" He called out while checking her pulse. It didn't take long before the instructor also began to regain consciousness.

"You okay?"

"Barely" She confirmed despite her throbbing head. "What happened?"

"I think we got him" He labored a reply. "Here, let me help you."

Though still wobbly, Hunter managed to lift himself up from the warm floor of the cockpit, after which he flexed his aching muscles to pull Quistis up as well. Expending a few more seconds to shake off a spell of dizziness, the pair simultaneously looked out from the fissured windshield and noted the dark blood splattered all over it.

"We got him, all right." The instructor concurred. "Do you think being torn into pieces is enough to kill it?"

"No, but at least we've got the edge in mobility. Come on, let's dump some earth on him and get this over with."

Hot winds nearly scalded their skins as the pair made an exit from the cockpit, easily sliding down the dragon ship's nose that was still embedded in the sandy ground. Quistis sighed as she looked back to the Ragnarok.

"It's going to take weeks before they can restore her back to full working order again."

"Yeah, but we can worry about that later. Come on." Hunter echoed while taking her hand into his. "We gotta find the incubus lord first."

It turned out they didn't have to go too far. Barely a few yards away from the crash site, Hunter and Quistis stopped dead on their tracks upon beholding the bloodied and decapitated form of the soul reaper. His remaining arm was still groping about in an effort to pull his body to safety, prompting Hunter to gently push the instructor aside.

"Careful, he's still alive."

"Then let's finish the job, Hunter." She looked back at him intently. "Together."

"How very touching!" A hollow voice rang out, startling the pair. They then looked in awe at the twitching soul devourer who was flashing an evil smile at them through his sand-caked face. "Doing everything together an ages-old romantic drivel. You two make me sick!"

The cracking sound of a whip simultaneously resonated with the chime of sliding blades as the two warriors braced themselves for combat. Quistis and Hunter cautiously stepped away from each other to flank the incubus on both sides. Nothing was heard but the subtle whistling of the warm desert winds surrounding the strained stillness as the warrior pair waited for the enemy to make his move, wary of being overcome by excessive eagerness to blindly stage an ill-advised attack. Though he was disabled by the lack of three limbs, they both knew better than to underestimate his outward appearance of vulnerability. The reverberating echoes of internal voices affirmed the SeeD's precaution.

"BE CAREFUL. HE'S MOST DANGEROUS WHEN HE'S DESPERATE. GAMELON AND UMAGA FELL BECAUSE THEY MISTAKENLY THOUGHT HE WAS ALREADY HELPLESS."

"My brother speaks true, mighty one. Stay on your guard, but do not charge with abandon."

Quistis nodded curtly in acknowledging the Brothers' words of caution. There was no doubt in her mind anymore about the legends Hunter spoke of. Sacred and Minotaur knew the enemy, and the apprehension in their voices was enough to make her bolster her vigilance.

"So we meet again, dolt." The incubus shot out once more as he turned to Hunter. "But it seems you are alone, save for your wench here. So where are your friends?"

The dark warrior's teeth gritted as he remembered the other members of the clan of the Hunters: his friends, the very people who met their gruesome deaths in his hands. The glaring evidence of his ultimate failure behind the cloak of success that the enemy's subjugation falsely presented. An eruption of rage promptly exploded inside his chest, a force that he tried to quell with the awareness of its critical worth for his enemy's cause. He knew that the incubus lord was trying to goad him into a reckless mistake by compromising his inner fortitude. His patience was being tried to force him into reckless abandon. Popping sounds emanated as his hands fiercely tightened their grips around the brazen handles of the Twin Jutte. 

"You know very well what happened to them" Hunter answered back, his voice as faint as a raging whisper of red smoke and smoldering wrath. "You kill you made me kill them."

Quistis looked at Hunter. In the limited time she had spent with him, she had never seen him this enraged. And it almost scared her. 

"Wasn't that gratifying?" The incubus bellowed. "Tell me, how did it feel like to immerse your hands in the blood of your comrades? What was it like to listen to their dying gasps as you slowly submerged your blades into their rotting flesh?"

"You wouldn't know." Hunter snapped back, feeling his grasp on his patience slipping. "It was always your nature to derive joy from death."

"That's right!" The death-bringer hissed. "I do acquire jubilation from the horrors coursing through the death knell of my sumptuous prey. Every gasp, every sob, every stinking moan and plea for their lives to be spared, I revel in it all. There's nothing more enticing than the final heave of breath of one about to surrender her delectable soul to me. It's whets my appetite whenever a toddler's screams of agony as I suck on its young essence mixed with his mother's wails, begging me to take her life instead. It makes me cringe in delight. And the more I speak about it, the more I hunger."

"You do deserve to die." Quistis finally blurted out.

"What is death, my lovely warrior? What purpose does it serve other than to make an empty husk out of my fare's vessel? And for what? Your kind live your lives with laughter and tears over trivial things that did not carry over unto a next realm. Your existence is useless. And you owe me a debt of gratitude for giving your people worth. Just as wheat is nurtured for the grain it yielded, you and your kind crawl into this world to serve as the feast to array my banquet table. You are mine, and your souls shine forth for my enjoyment."

The two furious warriors both acknowledged the wastefulness of spoken words. There was no more need to talk, only to act in the face of the glaring futility to rationalize the enemy's rapacious mindset. The soul devourer needed to die. He had to be killed. And nothing can be simpler than that.

But the means had never been as simple as the ends. Killing him was one thing, how exactly to do it was another. Hunter was startled when slimy tendrils from the soul reaper's mouth shot out and coiled tightly around his neck. It was purely by instinct that his blades lashed out to cut the squirming tentacles off. He wobbled back, feeling weak from the incubus' attempt to bite into his spirit.

"Quistis! Look out!" The dark warrior exclaimed just as another wet tentacle snapped out toward the instructor. 

Dodging the attack, Quistis retaliated with a whip slash that sliced the quivering appendage. But she was stunned when the devourer followed up with a vengeful Cosmic Punch that threw her a couple of feet back.

Completely losing her patience, the infuriated SeeD finally charged headlong toward the enemy.

"Let's see you get out of this!!!" Quistis shouted while unleashing her Aqua Breath attack, blasting off gallons upon gallons of water in a powerful jet that bombarded the soul reaper with impunity. His appalling scream tore through the dry air as the immense water pressure pummeled his decapitated form without mercy, all the more made harrowing by the spraying mud that began to engulf his body. Quistis maintained the assault for a few more seconds until the incubus became entirely covered with wet earth.

Unrelenting, the instructor followed her watery attack with the infernal Fire Breath. The surrounding areas, already battered by the desert heat, all the more turned into a blast furnace as the hellish dragon breath emptied its solar fury on the belligerent destroyer, in the process baking the mud covering him to a solid encasing of hardened earth. Quistis herself was almost overwhelmed by the unbearable heat that eventually forced her to cease her attack. As her Fire Breath died down, she beheld with relief the immobilized form of the soul devourer, completely imprisoned in a coffin of hard clay and heat-fused sand that shimmered like glass. 

Utmost silence followed the nerve-wracking battle, with the two warriors exhaustedly falling on the hot sand while frantically catching their breaths. Shaking off her fatigue, Quistis noticed Hunter's body shivering furiously, forcing her to ignore the pain coursing through her own as she rushed to his side.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"Uhh bastard almost got me" He stammered. " Thought I was a goner"

"What?" She shot back with alarm. "How what what should I do? Is there something I can do?"

"Don't worry I just need a little rest." He smiled faintly before passing out. 

"Hunter! Dammit, don't you die on me now! Hunter!"

**End of Chapter Ten**


	12. Chapter 11

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Eleven**

The sight of a dim, red light welcomed his sight as he slowly opened his eyes. He shook his head to clear his mind of the sticky cobwebs, tiny particles of fine dust spraying out from his light-colored hair. An attempt to move proved futile as the groggy warrior realized his hands and feet were bound tightly by a coil of the SeeD standard issue decel cord. Thinking back, he remembered the battle he fought against the instructor. She was supposed to be his comrade, though he didn't exactly thrill at the idea. 

But she turned against him. It wouldn't have been as surprising considering the animosity that used to adorn the gap between them. Yet it wasn't only against him that she vented her unexpected aggression to, it was against all of them. The revelation contained in the ancient scroll he discovered must have been of great concern to warrant her unusual behavior, he pondered. He would give her the benefit of the doubt had she not only humiliated him in battle. It would be asking too much for his bloated ego to ignore a demand for retribution.

His right wrist wiggled to loose a tiny blade that subsequently fell into his gloved hands. For all his faults, the headstrong warrior still knew better than to be unprepared for contingencies like this. It was mere child's play for him to severe the tough cord binding his hands. He was free in less than a minute.

Looking back at the other five, he deliberated intently whether to free them or not. Once again, he recalled the asinine prophecy, and wondered why in hell would he care if these altruistic dolts die or not. The world wouldn't be any more deprived without them anyway.

His gaze subsequently locked on the raven-haired lass.

It would be a cold night in hell before he allowed anything to harm her.

Making up his mind, the lofty gladiator bent down to her and activated the distress alert on her communicator. His hand then ran tenderly across her comely face.

If there was only some way to turn back the clock, he thought.

----------

"Hey" Quistis' voice wispily echoed. "Welcome back."

He couldn't have had a more pleasant awakening. Opening his eyes, Hunter smiled warmly at the face of an angel gazing tenderly back at him. He never felt as much comfort with anyone else's gaze.

"I've died and went to heaven"

"No you didn't." She chuckled. "You're not allowed to die unless I tell you to."

"Is that a fact?" He muttered, softly clutching her hand that was resting on his chest. "In that case, don't break out the chain of command yet. This old goat still has a long way to go."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She whispered back. It had been close to two hours since he lost consciousness after that battle with the incubus. And the instructor never recalled feeling as panicky at the prospect of losing someone as she did. She had never felt fear as incapacitating as it was as she struggled to treat his injuries. No words could have described the relief she felt when he finally settled to a relaxed slumber.

Hunter suddenly pulled himself up when he remembered the just transpired battle.

"The incubus! What happened to him?"

"Ssshhh don't worry about him." She assuaged. "I already took care of everything."

"Where is he now?"

"Buried under six feet of sand."

He thought briefly before coming back. "That might not be enough to contain him."

"Yeah, I know." Quistis answered while gently pushing him back on the bed. "We can attend to that later. For now, you need to get some rest."

"Yes ma'am" He complied, after which the SeeD stood up to leave.

She sighed resoundingly while assessing the damage to the Ragnarok. Quistis checked the instrument panel and pushed a few buttons to run a system diagnostics check, frowning with exasperation when the computer reported severe damages on the propulsion system and the weapons array. At least the life support system was still functional, she thought. The desert may be scorching hot during the day, but the night temperatures had been known to fall so steeply that the coldness could rival Trabia's frigid weather. She would hate to spend the night with the heaters busted.

The instructor remembered her deactivated communicator, but changed her mind about turning it on. Better wait until they completely neutralized the threat posed by the soul devourer, she decided. She'd never even consider having anyone of her comrades in the scene while the prophecy could still come true. 

"Does this thing have a CD player?" Hunter's voice rang out from behind her. Quistis turned and saw him holding a shiny disk in his right hand.

"Yeah. Zell had one installed a few months ago. It's over there at the navigator console."

"Thanks. I'll use a headphone just in case the music bothers you." He quipped while moving toward the side panel. Quistis momentarily observed Hunter as his head rocked steadily with the melody. Slow music, she guessed.

"Mind if I listen in?" She eventually voiced out.

"WHAT?"

"I SAID," She raised her voice while lifting one of the headphone's small speakers off his ears and propping her face beside his, "MIND IF I LISTEN IN?"

"Oh No, of course. I don't mind. Be my guest." He stammered while handing her the headphone. Quistis pressed one of its ends against her ears.

"Hmm Nice. Smooth and sweet. Who's the artist?"

"Freestyle." He quipped. "They're a show band, quite popular in Dollet. Don't tell me you haven't heard of them."

"No" She said, staring at Hunter in awe. For all his immense skills as a warrior, Quistis never thought she would see a soft side in him. A sensitive facet that allowed for a fascination in the kind of music that soothes the mind and pampers the heart. Her smile went across a face awash with wonder brought upon by a surprise discovery of a gentle sheep lurking beneath the shell of a ferocious gladiator. Eagerness engulfed her with totality, feeling a mighty desire to know more about him.

She gaited slowly, her daintily moving hands brushing away some shards of glass from the navigator panel. She then sat on the sturdy structure of buttons and keyboards to face him directly. "So aside from being a creampuff, what else can you tell me about yourself?" 

"Umm what else do you wanna know?"

"I don't know" She trailed off. "Stuff. Like you mentioned before that you're a hundred and thirty-one years old, and yet you only went into cryo-sleep for one hundred years. So that makes you thirty-one." The instructor analyzed, crossing her arms before her in a teacher-like fashion. "So were you already"

"Spoken for?" He interrupted.

"Yeah" Quistis followed. 

However, a sudden cognizance made her retreat in shame, thinking that she may be intruding into his privacy too much. Quistis had always been reserved that way. She sighed resonantly while covering her mouth with her hands.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be so nosy"

"Hey, that's all right. I don't mind." Hunter assured her. "I can tell you about my story. It's not like it's some top-secret information or anything."

The SeeD maintained her silence, prodding the dark warrior to continue.

"Yeah, I've been in and out of some relationships. To tell you frankly, I couldn't even call them that since those weren't really very serious, in a manner of speaking. The only time I felt almost sure was after my awakening, when I met this girl who lives in Dollet. This was only four months ago, the first relationship I had since I woke up from cryo-sleep."

"So what happened to her?" She finally responded.

"Um well she dumped me for another guy."

Quistis was slightly astonished, thinking that this girl must have been learning-impaired for having rejected Hunter in favor of another man. Who in her right mind would reject a man like this? Someone who must be blind, deaf, dead, or all of the above. How could a girl be so stupid?

Consequently, the instructor blushed upon realizing her line of thoughts. Though not exactly surprised by her sentiments, she also wasn't inclined to readily display any feeling of affection towards a man. For her, it was both a violation against her customary bearing as an authority figure, and a precaution against committing a mistake not unlike the one related to a certain SeeD commander. However, Quistis was also puzzled by an impetus to uplift his moral. And the conflicted instructor had to fight onerously to resist this impulse.

"Really?" She returned. "I'm sorry to hear that. She must have been a real bitch doing that to you."

"No, not exactly." He countered. And if Hunter was looking at her, he would have noticed her scowling. Quistis didn't like what she thought was his attempt at defending this girl. She tried to restrain an urge to punch him in the nose.

Since when did she start acting so irrationally? 

"It was partly my fault, really." He continued. "I had some issues that I just couldn't deal with easily. And she decided to leave me because of that. Maybe it was only a coincidence that there was already this guy waiting in the sidelines. But frankly, I really don't know which came first."

"What was it exactly?" She asked, feeling intrigued. "I mean, I can't comment on her motives because I don't even know her. But what exactly did she tell you?"

He flashed a sour smile before replying. 

"She said she didn't wish to share with my burden."

Makes sense, but also typically bitch-like, she thought. Quistis retracted from her last thought, accepting that every woman has a right to choose whatever it is that would make her happy. Maybe this girl just couldn't cope with the truth that he was a warrior with a mission in life. Acceptable enough, she assessed. But it also meant that this girl didn't really love him. 

Hunter definitely deserved something better than that. Those very words echoed in her mind and prompted her to ponder about herself being that something better. Surely, she could offer a lot more than that girl could. For one thing, she was also a warrior, and she could certainly understand whatever predicament such a profession may bring to a man's life.

Quistis suddenly interrupted her train of thoughts. Why was she even trying to justify herself? 

Still, the question remained. Did he truly love her? She found the need to know the answer overwhelming but also dreadful. Quistis felt anxious of her possible reaction in the event that she receives an affirmative response.

"Were you in love with her?" She echoed apprehensively.

"Heh!" Hunter scoffed. "I've been thinking about that."

"And?" The instructor's heart thundered.

"I really don't know. Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn't. Eventually, I just asked myself if she does qualify to the term."

"Qualify?"

Hunter then looked at Quistis firmly. 

"The wise man said: You truly love someone when you know that there's absolutely nothing in this world you wouldn't do for that person. You can truthfully say that you're in love when you feel that you can easily survive a hundred years without money, friends or family but you wouldn't last even a single day without her."

A million nuclear bombs would not have been enough to extricate Quistis from the enchantment that possessed her. As she recalled the words Hunter uttered, she wondered if he was merely speaking rhetorically or if those words were indeed meant for something tangible. Was he only repeating the words of a proverbial old sage? Was he uttering a set of ideals he meant to someday use as a yardstick? 

Or were those words spoken to describe his feelings for her?

Quistis wanted it to be her desperately.

"What about you? Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"W-What?" She stammered, as if awakening from a deep trance.

"Tell me about yourself."

"What's there left to tell?" Quistis repeated, feeling a bit more relaxed. "You seem to know a lot about me already."

"Yeah maybe too much, I'm afraid."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well" He hesitated while fidgeting. Hunter was reluctant to let her know of the details he had about her personal life. However, the fact that he had been spying on her wasn't a secret anymore. At this point, he thought any other revelation of the things he knew wouldn't make much of a difference.

" I'm just curious about Squall"

"He never became my boyfriend if that's what you're thinking."

"And I'll bet you're not too thrilled about it, huh."

Hunter held his breath after that remark, fearing that he may be starting to become a bit too intrusive to her liking. But the sweet smile on her face erased the burgeoning anxiety inside him. On her side, Quistis almost felt like laughing. But her amused state was replaced by wonder upon stumbling into an apparent self-discovery. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel the sting that used to be prevalent whenever someone spoke to her about Squall in that manner. Not that there were any who did aside from Xu.

Nevertheless, it really didn't matter. She was just too amazed to realize the absence of the bludgeoning hurt that always came after the mention of the SeeD commander's name. But it only took one look at Hunter's face to give her the answer.

"I can't answer that." Quistis returned.

"Why not?"

Why not? She was almost amused, and she also didn't know where to start. Why not? Maybe it's because if she told him that his assumption wasn't true and that she didn't give a damn anymore whether Squall reciprocates her feelings or not, he'd easily figure out the screaming desire that had been growing in her heart ever since they first met. 

"Quisty?"

Why not? Maybe it's due to the fact that the lifetime of longing she harbored for her childhood love was effectively eradicated by the two days she spent with Hunter, and this truth was just too incredulous even she found it a little too hard to believe. 

Why not?

Maybe it's because Hunter had already replaced Squall in her heart. She just didn't know how to tell him.

And she wanted so badly to tell him.

"Because" Quistis anxiously stuttered, her eyes now nervously locked with his. "Because I didn't know what to do. I don't know if I can handle seeing that you don't feel the same way if if I let you see through me and and realize that"

She felt a knot block her throat. But Quistis persevered.

" That That I've already fallen for you"

She lowered her head after that stunning revelation, ashamed that it had to come from her first. Quistis would have wanted to wait for Hunter to make the first move, and maybe he would have had she given him enough time. But the emotions had built up inside her to such degree that it became too painful to try and contain it within her. It demanded release with a might that was too much for her meager will to suppress. 

And if she would only look at him, she would have seen the look of immense surprise in his face. Hunter could hardly believe what he heard her say. For months he had been observing her, watching from afar how her grace blessed the lives of the people around her, unwittingly enriching his as well. For what seemed like forever, he hoped against hopelessness, acknowledging that she was too far from his reach but wishing just the same that she would someday feel the same way no matter how impossible it seemed then. For him, she had always been the dream impossible to realize and the star beyond his grasp, reachable only from the dark corners whose shadows he used in silently marveling at her splendor. She was just so beyond him then.

Now, they stood before each other, and he had just heard her profess her love for him. If this was a dream, he'd rather die in his sleep than wake up to a reality without her.

His fingers quivered as they gently touched her chin to lift her face up to him. Hunter then moved his other hand to affectionately caress her soft hair. Their hearts threatened to explode as they gazed lovingly at each other. And after what seemed like forever, their lips finally met. A few moments of tender kissing transpired before Hunter brought his arms around Quistis' back and legs, sweeping her effortlessly off her feet.

As they left the cockpit, the headphone plug was yanked off from the circular socket of the CD player, automatically rerouting the signal to the speakers that filled the entire Ragnarok with soothing melodies. 

**End of Chapter Eleven**


	13. Chapter 12

**

* * *

**

Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

__

You came and changed my life

I knew you would bring joy to me

'Coz you gave me your smile

They moved with motions that felt predestined. Hands running along each other, feeling, searching, exploring. Time became inconsequential in the midst of slow and deliberate movements that meant to savor the moment in all its fullness. For the intruder and the instructor, the world was now theirs, and the world became them. The desert ceased to exist, the dragon ship became a memory. No more Centra, nor Esthar, nor Balamb. Everything they knew became reduced to a mythical haze. The stars no longer twinkled, the moon became extinct. No light shone save the sparkles in their eyes that breathlessly adored each other.

__

And now I know that love is real

You taught me how to feel

What I never knew was true

You keep me believing

Raiment became abhorred and consequently removed, one after the other. Their pounding hearts thundered deafeningly with each piece that was laid aside. Feathery fingers brushed against sensitized skin as the last soft aegis slid off from their now unprotected forms. A subtle click emanated as the ornate fastening slipped off to liberate the sweet-scented softness of pale yellow hair that fell magnificently along the smooth contours of her shoulders and back. Her hand ruffled his black hair, then slowly moved down his neck and shoulder. They felt hard, almost like steel. And yet her heart found tenderness in that mass of fleshy armor. Her fingers continued to traverse his arms, pristine nails tenderly running across his taut skin, eventually finding their way into his waiting palm. Their hands held each other softly, fingers intertwining, as if representing the coming fusion of their souls. She brought his hand to her, making him feel her softness. He gazed in awe while feeling the quivering eagerness in her skin.

Their faces drew together, then pulled back. They were torn between the gripping desire to feel each other's lips and the yearning to behold the visages that brought such sweetness in their eyes. Quistis closed hers as Hunter tenderly caressed her face with his hand, softly traversing her blushing cheeks and luscious, pale red lips. She took hold of his hand and pressed her lips against it. Their hearts leapt with the profound sensation. All doubt subsequently disappeared; all fear was cast away in the void.

__

I really love you so

And my love it'll always grow

And I wanna let you know

That I'll never go, never let you go

Her eyes glistened with the cognizance of what was about to happen. Or rather, of what has already happened. There can be no question about it now, as Quistis once more accepted in her heart that she had fallen in love with Hunter. A love not bound to futility, given the radiance of deep affection shining forth from his dark brown eyes. Hunter couldn't contain his emotions any longer. The utterance of sincere adoration needed to be released. It must find its expression. And he could think of only one way.

" I love you, Quisty. I love you so much"

The sweetest smile in all the world could never have competed against the one that formed on Quistis' lips. She wanted to answer, to reciprocate the happiness his utterance gave her. But she felt her throat stopped by the joy, and her lips struggled to speak out her glee. Still, the brilliance in her sapphire beads more than adequately expressed the emotions screaming from every fiber in her being. He read her gaze, and was himself overwhelmed by gladness.

There was nothing else left to do at this point. Their longing lips finally met, at first gently, relishing the softness and cherishing the sweet taste of their blissful kiss. It then grew hungrier and more intense, as they both groped desperately to take in as much of each other as they possibly can. Their arms slithered passionately, surrounding one another as their hands once again commenced the exploration of their entireties. No more reservation remained as their exposed bodies melded together as one, exchanging mellow warmth and heated passion. They held each other tight, as if their souls will be torn asunder the moment they opt to let go. They refused to let each other go.

__

And I never never knew 

That I'll find a love so true

She never thought it possible. But there can be no denying the heavenly bliss filling her heart as she shared this soaring tryst with him. Quistis had thought then that she was destined to live her life without love, without the peace brought by the comforting arms of a man who would love her without reservation. She thought she would never find one of her own, and was nearly resigned to the fate of languishing in an affection doomed to be forever unrequited.

How more mistaken could she possibly be? How more erroneous was her soul's pitiful surrender to a life of loneliness? But this was one mistake that she was only too glad to admit. She thought she would never find love. She thought she would always be alone. 

Hunter's arms imprisoning her in its loving folds proved her utterly wrong. She was destined for love after all, for the path to heaven that everyone else around her enjoyed. But Quistis knew she was more fortunate. The light always shone brightest at the end of a tunnel. She realized this. And the bitter pangs of past heartaches now serve nothing more than to magnify her newfound joy. She was wrong in her past melancholy, and she couldn't be happier for being wrong. Rectification could never feel as intoxicatingly sweet than this. Her mouth opened wider, fusing more ferociously with his as their passions burned red-hot. 

__

So now I give my heart and soul

To you

No more disillusioned thoughts, breaking hearts, and shattered dreams. No more sadness and hopeless romanticism. No more futile wishful thinking.

No more Squall Leonhart.

There was only Hunter. Only the two of them. Nothing else existed but the love they ached to share.

He pleaded to be let in. She begged to be taken.

__

Now, now I realize 

Just how good my life could be

With one look in your eyes

Dizzying ecstasy engulfed them as they moved together. Their lips once again begged to meet, but they both were too entranced, locked in a gaze of enchantment that refused to be broken. The totality of magical passion sparkled from deep inside their eyes, basking each other with unspoken words of pure devotion. It was an absolute fusion, a complete communion of heart, mind, body and soul.

__

And I, I finally feel so free

I finally found somebody

Who'll love me indefinitely

Someone I'll always believe in

Suddenly, the chains of loneliness and bondage of fear disintegrated in the face of searing passion. They have never felt so liberated, have never known such freedom. Eruptions of soul-rending fervor drove Hunter to wander his lips around her face, with occasional dabs of eagerness landing on her pink lips that Quistis met with unparalleled ardor. Whenever he pulled back, she chased after him. She hated even the smallest inch of distance. Her moans echoed to beseech his nearness. Her arms toiled to keep him close.

There was no stopping them now. Theirs was the freedom of heart and soul to pamper each other with amour. Hunter and Quistis moved without restraint across their own universe, soaring with outstretched wings as the void of solitude parted to set them free, to let them explore the world lying within each other's arms.

__

I used to live without

Any sign of love for me

Living each day in doubt

Hunter's heartache was now a thing of the past. Quistis' emptiness became less than a memory. She pushed him back and held him close, whispering staccato words of thrill as her spirit soared every time he explored her deeply. Her thirsting mouth groped to make contact with his own. And when she couldn't reach it, the instructor's lips sought recompense from his exposed chest. Feeling her welcome intrusion, the intruder bent down and smelled the fragrance exuded by her rich, blonde hair. His passion intensified as his face strove further, amorously kissing her sweat-soaked neck. Hunter's action slid himself down unto her, warm bodies grinding profusely against each other. Finally within her reach, Quistis arched to meet his face with hers. And for the umpteenth time, their mouths locked, lips pressed together, and tongues intertwined.

__

Now you gave me 

Just what I've been looking for

What I never had before

You give me your all

And that's what you're all about

Countless hours passed without notice. Hours that seemed like seconds, painfully short and limited in the midst of this rhapsody they wished would last forever. They didn't stop. They refused to stop, as if squeezing into the selfish hours a whole lifetime of wasted moments they should have spent with each other. Harrowing words echoed into their minds, asking where they've been all their lives. Untapped energies were exploited to prolong the heaven of eternal communion that saw their bodies ignore the limits of human endurance as they continued to kiss, embrace, whisper, undulate, and dance to the euphonious music of love. They gave everything they had, and even that seemed not enough.

__

You are the one who made me see

You are the one who set me free

His fingers dug into the sheets, hers burrowed deep in his back.

__

You are the one, gave me all your time

You are the one, always on my mind

Their minds became filled with the colors of an alien rainbow whose hues and shades emitted unfamiliar radiance and exhilarating resplendence. Their hearts were carried in a flight of infinite ecstasy as their mouths repeatedly professed their love for each other. Sweat drops mixed in a raging river of pure sensual wildfire while their bare bodies continued to move in unison.

__

You are the one I will have and hold

You are the one with my heart and soul

No longer capable of holding her emotions back, Quistis began to cry. Her tears of joy mingled with the beads rolling down from her forehead. She opened her drenched eyes and stared at Hunter passionately, her lips uttering desperate requests for him to never, ever leave her. He replied with intense fervor, reiterating his immense love incessantly. The intimate words all the more fanned the raging fires engulfing their beings as their passions fiercely blazed white-hot.

__

You are the one, never let you go

You are the one, really love you so

All through the night, they carried on. Holding, caressing, exploring and loving each other as if there was no tomorrow. Endless whispers emanated with muffled giggles, tender moans, solemn pledges and the promise of a love that knows no death. For Quistis and Hunter, this was the night to end all those nights of sullen wondering. This was the moment that marked the last time they will ever echo their questions to the stars and receive nothing in reply. They have found their answers. They have reached their destinies. Hers was the one whose chest she rested her head on. His was the maiden whose hair covered his shoulder. 

It was a truth where there can be no denying They were made for each other. They were meant to be together.

__

I really love you so (I really love you so)

And my love it'll always grow (My love, It will always grow)

And I wanna let you know (Do want to let you know)

That I'll never go, never let you go

And I never never knew (I never knew)

That I'll find a love so true ('Til I met you)

So now I give my heart and soul

To you

He smiled while gazing adoringly at her angelic face. As the soft music continued to float, he silently made a vow.

Nothing in this world will ever tear them apart. 

Nothing.

__

I give my heart and soul to you

----------

"Hmm this isn't so bad"

It was barely six in the morning when Quistis woke up. She smiled in deep joy as she looked lovingly at Hunter. He was still sleeping soundly, obviously exhausted from the deep and blessed night they spent. Lingering beside him for a few moments, she thought she should be as drained as he was. But on the contrary, she felt rejuvenated, energetic even. Maybe she was just too happy to feel tired, she thought.

Throwing a thick blanket over her body, the instructor proceeded out of the infirmary and continued to walk down the stairs jutting from the cargo bay. She ignored the pitiful sight of the Ragnarok's current state while continuing to strut leisurely toward a nearby cliff overlooking the ocean. The sun was just starting to rise to herald a new day. And despite the coming morning, the desert air still felt cold. But she didn't seem to care. After what happened the previous night, the only thing Quistis could see and feel was the beauty of the environment. Truly, she was still so awash with the joy that consequently rendered her inert from any feeling of negativity.

"Hmm this isn't so bad" She muttered while dispelling the notion that the desert represented the most unsightly ecology in the entire planet. Her gaze was still wandering along the eastern horizon when faint cuffing sounds emanated from behind her. She looked back and smiled to see Hunter.

"Hey" He greeted, which was met by the instructor's resounding giggle. "Can I like, share that blanket with you?"

"I think you should." She chuckled. "Come here, you'll freeze to death in that uhh"

"Don't mind if I do." Hunter echoed back. Quistis felt the cold air momentarily bite into her exposed skin when she opened the heavy sheet to accommodate him inside its protection. The blanket felt warm and cozy, but not nearly as comfortable as the soothing feeling of their bodies pressing against each other.

"Never thought the sunrise could be so pretty here." Quistis whispered.

"Really?" Hunter answered. "I wouldn't know. I wasn't looking at the sun."

She giggled fondly.

"You're still trying to flatter me after last night?"

"Well, as the wise man counseled," He returned, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Courtship never really ends if you truly love someone."

The profound warmth brought by his affectionate words overcame the SeeD, penetrating deeply into her heart. She closed her eyes while pressing her cheeks against his. Quistis couldn't help looking back at her life and the perennial heartaches it gave her. The journey seemed long and arduous, and made especially difficult by the indifference of one she called friend and hoped to be her lover. But no more, she said to herself. There was indeed a reason behind that lifetime of embittering wait. It wasn't certain whether the same wise man spoke, but it didn't matter. She once thought that the light at the end of the tunnel was merely a myth for those who strove to keep their heads above water. And it was only now that she realized it in truth. That light did exist, shining forth from Hunter's smiling eyes.

"Quisty I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" She lovingly cooed. Hunter then ran his hands over her shoulders before gripping them gently, turning her around to face him. The look of sheer anticipation in his face mildly surprised her, making her wonder about his next words.

Nothing could possibly have prepared her for this.

"Will Will you marry me?"

"Hunter" Quistis stuttered. She still hasn't recovered from the immense gladness brought about by his profession of unreserved devotion. Now she was hearing him offering his whole life to her in marriage. It sounded too good to be true. It is too good to be true.

"Quisty There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." He uttered once more. And her already erupting heart threatened to explode when she saw his eyes glistening. "Marry me"

There can be no other answer to this question, she thought. Only one response could possibly make sense. She'd be the biggest fool in the world to say anything other than

" Yes! I will marry you"

**End of Chapter Twelve**


	14. Chapter 13

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Captain Andrea Frost couldn't believe her eyes. It wasn't exactly a first for her to receive an order that she deemed on the preposterous side. She's had her share of the frivolous display of authority by the chain of command. Back when she was still a lieutenant, one particularly bloodthirsty major ordered her to sink an already helpless Galbadian frigate for reasons that were not given to her. The primary mission they were briefed for was simply to lend assistance to a small vessel of White SeeDs that carried a passenger who apparently was an object of special interest for Esthar's president. They already had the smaller Galbadian fleet on the run, and she thought there wasn't any need for such extreme measure anymore. The young officer hated it, but she nevertheless complied, ordering her men to open fire on the disabled enemy ship.

But this has got to be the most rotten apple in the basket, she thought to herself. Looking at the secure transmission handed to her by one of her lieutenants, Captain Frost scowled in both disbelief and exasperation, wondering what could possibly have possessed her superiors to issue this command. She was just ordered to lead her troops in apprehending Deputy Commander Quistis Trepe, as per an urgent request they received from Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer himself. 

"What's this all about?" She blurted out to her aid.

"From what I heard, Captain, Commander Trepe deserted her unit right after the meeting with Major Pearson and Captain Laggan in Camp Tetsuo. I'm not sure of the details myself, but they said they received a distress signal from the SeeDs who turned up in this old labyrinth near Deling City a few hours after that. Balamb Garden is currently sending rescuers at this very moment."

Andrea sighed, thinking why did it have to be desertion of all the infractions Quistis could commit. And despite the fact that she knew the Balamb instructor for her competence, the Estharian soldier, being highly decorated herself for her exploits, was also aware of how grave such a violation is. Given this, she had no choice but to comply with the order no matter how much she trusted the SeeD's judgment or believed she had a good reason for abandoning her comrades.

"And they're bothering us with this? Why not send their own SeeDs to arrest her?"

"It looks like they don't have the extra personnel to spare. Everyone's away on winter break."

This definitely wouldn't make her job any easier. It was bad enough that she had to work with a trimmed down battalion. Now she had to divide her forces between the continued pursuit of the soul devourer and the apprehension of Quistis Trepe. How could things be any worse?

"And uh, there's one more issue that needs your attention, Captain." Lieutenant Boro Makamaka added apprehensively

"What?"

"The Galbadian infantry battalion has arrived." He stated. "You know, the ones requested by General Pischke to assist us in this operation."

Her first reaction was that of disdain. She hated having to rely on the assistance of the Galbadian military whose capabilities she considered has lots of room for improvement. Captain Frost didn't appreciate the irony that came with the fact that they had to depend on inferior help. However, her face lit up upon hatching an idea.

"Galbadian? All right. Go out there on my behalf and give them their first order."

"And what would that be, ma'am?"

"Tell them to hunt down Commander Trepe for me."

----------

_**Log: 03 January 2001**_

_I'm going to deviate from my usual procedure to record a momentous event in my life. I can't help but think about the times when people just stumble on to something that turned out to be the answer to a question that's been nagging at them their whole lives. Sometimes, it's just so marvelous to think about these things. How does one know when he's found THE ONE for him?_

_Looking back at my life (not counting the hundred years that I slept), I've lost track of how long I've asked myself this question. Notwithstanding the fact that my task had been preordained even before the moment of my birth, there's still this concern inside me that begs to know what else is there to life worthy enough for me to continue living it. After I have completed my mission (if I ever do complete my mission), what is there left for me to do? Spend the rest of my days in solitude, wondering endlessly when I'd outlast my usefulness and just drop dead?_

_I may never know. I still have to complete the purpose to which my birth had been justified. But still, I don't know if I'm willing to continue my walk knowing that I may never find the answer. I may appear content and needing nothing. But deep inside I have this emptiness that nothing in this world seem adequate to fill. _

_And then she came along. And she proved beyond reasonable doubt that some answers are just waiting to reveal themselves, lurking beneath everyone's nose until the time comes for them to unequivocally prove one's purpose to live._

_When I kissed her last night when I touched her and held her close, I knew that she's the one. I won't bother to explain why anymore in an effort to prove it to myself. The important thing is it's in my heart, and my heart nods in full agreement to the truth that she's the answer to my lifelong question. More than the task to end the threat of the soul reaper ever manifested, she is my reason for living. I am born to be with her. I am born to love her._

_I just hope time will be kind to us both._

_While we were watching the sunrise this morning, there's a thought that possessed me. I couldn't shake it off no matter how hard I tried. The sun is beautiful in the morning. I've always admired it. And I'm pretty sure that a lot of people see it in the same light as I do, so to speak. It was made even more beautiful by the girl I was holding in my arms. The girl who gave me the ultimate happiness by deciding to spend the rest of her life with me. Provided that we both live through this experience, Quistis and I are getting married. _

_Even the sound of those words overwhelms me. I don't think I could ever recall being this happy. And it is my fervent wish to give her back the happiness that she has given me. Ever since I first laid eyes on her, I wanted desperately to be the one to finally give her the joy that she deserves. I_

_I just hope time will be kind to us_

_But what am I trying to drive at? I guess it's just this. Quistis lived her life as an orphan who never knew the comfort of her parents' touch. And yet she persevered to better herself in the hopes that her life could somehow count for something. I was born with a sword in my mouth, destined to do battle against a being whose only purpose in life was to feast on people's souls. The one thing we have in common is our mission to preserve this world from extinction, as much as our abilities will permit. _

_I looked out toward the sea this morning, admiring the beauty that it possessed. I thought about all those people at the other side of the world wondering if this world is indeed worth saving._

_I'm sure there's at least one other couple out there enjoying the kind of happiness Quisty and I are sharing right now. And if only for that, then I guess the world truly is worth saving._

_**End log.**_

His warm smile accompanied the tender glow in his heart as a soft click emanated when he closed his pocket computer. Lingering in deep thought, Hunter wondered if there was anything else he left out. The rays of the sun were already shining magnificently through the glass canopy of the Ragnarok's cockpit. His face felt the biting warmth, reveling in it as if it marked the blessed day that commenced the completion of his life. 

He scoffed at himself, amused at his demeanor. For so long, the concept of joy seemed so remote, and he once accepted the elusive nature of unqualified contentment as one reserved only for the young. Now he felt like a boy once more. A toddler who had just been given his most ardent wish. Every fiber in his being jubilated in the thrill, every thought in his mind marveled at the fortune bestowed on him. Hunter pondered, he has got to be the luckiest man in the world for having been granted the love of the most amazing woman in existence.

His heart leapt at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, stranger. What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing." Hunter beamed while tucking the electronic device inside his utility belt. "Just catching up on some things."

"Uhmm" Quistis moaned, bringing her arms around his neck. "Canceling all your dates, I hope."

"Yep. I broke a lot of hearts today, thanks to you."

"Liar." She tenderly echoed while kissing him softly on the cheeks. When he turned to her, Hunter noticed the black material cladding her arms.

"Hey, what's this you're wearing?"

"You like it?" Quistis shot back, stepping away to give him a better view of her new attire. "Headmaster Cid thought using our SeeD uniforms in missions that involve frontal assault was rather inconvenient. So he had these made, our new SeeD battle suit, made from the latest in Estharian technology. Air-cooled Kevlar overalls, internal micro circuitry with built in network interface, weapon holsters, amplified communicator set, utility pockets and it also comes with a headgear with limited sealed systems capability. You're not the only one with the fancy black suit, you know."

He chuckled amusedly while the instructor twirled before him like a fashion model, showing off the uniform as she explained its features. Quistis was unaware that her explanations were falling on deaf ears, as Hunter wasn't really paying attention to her words and was too busy admiring the eye-pleasing shapes and curves of her body showing through the tight fitting ensemble. Though it didn't take long for the keen instructor to catch on.

"You weren't listening to me, were you?"

"Huh? Uh, no." He suddenly stammered. "I mean, yes I'm listening to you. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Quistis drew her face close to his, as Hunter felt intoxicated once more by the sweet smell of her breath.

"If your eyes had hands, they'd already have ripped this battle suit off me the same way you did my clothes."

"Heh yeah" He sheepishly retorted just as her lips landed a kiss on his. As she stepped away, he still stared with mesmerized eyes at her lovely figure. It was complemented by her soft, blonde hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, with some loose strands hanging down silkily over her face. These all coupled with her refined and graceful movement that perennially gave her that lingering, regal splendor. He couldn't help echoing out his awe. 

"All those students are right about you. You do look like a queen."

"Really" She quipped back, losing the glow in her face. "A queen now that's something, isn't it?"

Hunter noticed the darkness that crept over her face. "Hey, is there something wrong?"

"Well no. There's nothing wrong per se." She replied. "It's just that I really don't like being looked upon as a queen or anything like that. I mean, it's nice and all, and I used to appreciate it a lot. But sometimes, too much of the good thing can be awkward and even sickening."

"You don't like being popular? That's funny. A lot of people I know are ready to do crazy stuffs just to gain some popularity. Like this guy I met awhile ago. He paid his classmate two hundred gils just to spread all this BS that supposedly made his classmates think he's so cool."

"Did it work?" The instructor returned curiously as her wearied expression gradually vanished.

"Like a charm." He quipped. "Well, that is until another guy poured a bottle of laxative into his mochaccino."

"Goodness gracious" She blurted out. "That is so gross!"

"Ha-ha! Tell me about it! They had to close down the ladies' room for a whole week to clean up his mess!"

"Why would he be in a ladies'?" Quistis exclaimed, unsure whether to laugh or cringe. "Oh, never mind. At least no one at Garden has pulled a stunt like that yet."

"I can imagine." Hunter exclaimed. "It seems to me like they were all too busy in trying to get your approval. But I really don't blame them."

_'Too busy in trying to get your approval.' _ The phrase echoed repeatedly inside the instructor's mind. It was true, she admitted. No matter how much she denied it, it was obvious that every student in all her classes had put her on top of a pedestal. She liked it at first, and even reveled in the glory brought about by her immense popularity that was punctuated by the creation of her very own 'fans club'. It even brought about some fringe benefits in the form of improved performances from her students, who were driven to excel in class in their desire to gain her approval. 

But it didn't take long before she grew uncomfortable with the extremely high regard she was accorded by almost everybody. And the instructor soon found it stifling as she began to be branded with such titles like 'legend', 'empress', 'goddess', 'savior', 'saint', and everyone's personal favorite: _'Queen'._ Rinoa even called her once the Queen of Balamb Garden. Quistis didn't want to look ungrateful in front of her loyal admirers, but she also could no longer deny that the idea had been gradually growing repulsive for her. It wasn't really the expectations that she thought she had to measure up to. Yes, she once lost her teaching job due to what the faculty staff mistakenly deemed as her lack of leadership qualities. But her role in defeating Ultimecia almost instantly gave back everything she lost, and then some. She had never again faced the problem of expectations since that time. As far as everyone was concerned, she no longer had anything else to prove. 

Still, her renown had withheld from her the very basic of what every girl her age desired. Despite her popularity, Quistis still struggled to gain the one wish that her students, friends, and colleagues unwittingly denied her. Yes, she was the enchanting queen, great instructor and legendary warrior. However, she was also, first and foremost, a teenager who just wanted to be treated like an equal. An unassuming peer. A simple person. 

She just wanted to be herself.

Quistis looked at Hunter with a reluctant expression. "Is that how you look at me? Like I'm some sort of royalty?"

"No and yes." He replied while walking toward her. "No, because for me, you're just a girl who should be loved, nurtured, and babied. Never mind that you're a warrior, I don't give a damn about that. All I know is you're my fragile sweetheart you're the girl I love. And I will take care of you, protect you, and lay my life for you if I have to."

She felt her hesitation disappear and was promptly replaced by a serene gladness that deeply penetrated into her being. Her face once again glowed in peaceful revelry as her dark knight continued.

"And yes in a manner of speaking. Because from now on, you are and will always be the queen of my heart and soul." 

"You're going to turn me into a spoiled brat with all these sweet nothings." She chuckled fondly. "And don't forget we still have a job to do."

"Oh oh yeah!" He snapped out upon being reminded about the incubus. "We still have to make sure he won't be able to cause anymore trouble."

Hunter double checked his gear once more before he and Quistis slid down once more over the dragon ship's nose. Their dispositions were generally sprightly as they traversed the short length between the felled space shuttle and the location where they fought against the soul devourer. Both fully thought that there was nothing else left to do but the clean-up chore that normally comes after a battle.

They suddenly stopped dead on their tracks.

"Great Hyne!"

"Oh no!"

The intruder and the instructor both froze in horror, their faces turning ashen with dread when they reached the spot where she had previously buried the incubus. There was a mound of earth and sand that marked the burial place when Quistis left it the day before. Now there was nothing left but a deep and gaping hole.

**End of Chapter Thirteen**


	15. Chapter 14

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Fourteen**

The gurgling and hissing sounds mixed to create an atmosphere that can make the most fearless warlords of old cower in fear. The eerie ambience was further aggravated by the disturbing sounds that resembled rapid chisels at work. But instead of a work of art, they were unleashing an abomination. A horrific curse of bitter indignation hundreds of years old. Jagged fangs and razor-sharp claws moved in a rhythmic blur, gnawing away at the hardened silt, mud and glassy grains that imprisoned the lord of carnage. 

They worked without tiring. Once branded as the lesser visible part of a society that demanded vehemence, the elderly members of the cult that worshipped Hyne's enemy couldn't care less whether the world persisted on looking down at them or not. All they desired was to have a purpose in life, a purpose denied them by the people whom they once called loved ones. Abandoned in their apparent uselessness, the forgotten women banded together in their hopes of giving each other their much-coveted meaning. In their desires to find purpose, they were mislead, paving the way for their unknowing hands to conjure the wrath of an ancient demigod. With the demise of the archaic mistress of chaos, they again found themselves lost, and sought direction elsewhere, eventually ending up before the insulting gaze of the old avenger that devoured spirits.

Now, they don't remember even a single element of their past lives. Once facing the incubus lord, the blackened desires of their misguided hearts were made even more Cimmerian when they surrendered their lives to him. And though he did not consume their souls, the eater of spirits gave them a far worse fate of painful enslavement. Every breath they made tormented their bodies, every twitch and every blink tortured their nerves. Had they still controlled their minds, they would be wishing for death at this very moment. 

Carrying on with the chore mindlessly, the hideously transformed slaves soon began to celebrate as the casing of hard earth began to give way to their relentless assault. The cocoon unraveled first as jagged chips, then as bigger slabs, further expediting the release of the soul devourer.

A filth-covered hand suddenly moved to slap away the remaining chunk of coarse shell. It was followed by a howl of agony as the incubus awakened to the stench of soil and sand that lingered inside his nostrils. The pain penetrated deep inside his being like a biting, merciless itch that refused to stay in one place. His remaining hand groped to clutch at the throbs, his salivating maw groaning in frustration and failure. Tears of fury rolled down from smoldering eyes as his entire being raged for revenge. He ached to retaliate against those who humiliated him. But first thing's first, he had to tame his hunger first.

Frightened sobs filled the dank air of the secluded cave as two of the mindless slaves walked forward, dragging a struggling dame before the incubus. He stared at her, focusing intently on her tear-drenched face. Over the years, the soul devourer has devised a myriad of ways to empty his victims of their essences. His normal method was to use his incredible powers to first kill them _en masse_, as he usually feasted with multiple prey to quickly satiate his hunger. Either that or he directly sucks the spirit out of a still living human, reveling at the sight of its emptying husk just for the sake of spectacle. 

But today, his appetite combined with his unnerving wrath. And the overpowering desire to inflict pain poured out on the innocent maiden groveling before him. In the blink of an eye, the razor-sharp tips of his slimy tongue shot out from his mouth and tore a vertical cut along the horrified girl's body, spilling out her internal organs. The same grimy appendage hissed past her neck, severing the head from the decapitated body.

As the lifeless victim fell to the ground, the soul reaper's eyes trained upward, his extrasensory faculties focused on the colorless spirit that escaped its prey at the time of death. And before it dissipated into the ethereal plane, he drew an eager breath to siphon the spirit from the air into the waiting chasm in his own being. Thin ribbons of arcane energy enveloped the incubus as his spirit began to feed.

Rejuvenated, the soul devourer then focused his energies toward his injuries, initiating a bizarre process that brought out tiny tendrils of creeping flesh from his exposed joints. The thread-like tentacles slithered out, multiplied a thousand-fold, and fused into three separate masses of pulsating gunk that began to take familiar shapes. The gory details of regenerating limbs became engulfed in a cacophony of green and white light that then subsided to reveal the complete reformation of his lost appendages. Once again, the slayer of souls was whole.

But still, he hungered, as the effort to heal his wounds consumed most of the energies he infused. He was momentarily torn between the craving to feed himself and the thirst for revenge. However, both subsequently became ignored while he was reminded of his real objective. The defeat he suffered proving without a doubt that even his powers were inadequate for his ultimate goal, the incubus ruled against his passion for vengeance, deciding to postpone his anger in favor of a more pressing matter at hand. Vengeance will have to wait. But it will come soon, he vowed. It will come soon.

----------

"Damn should've known better than to lay our guards down."

She stared at him with a tinge of guilt in her eyes. Quistis let out a sigh while paying attention to Hunter, who was kneeling down along the edge of the dug-up grave. 

"It's still fresh." He estimated while taking a lump of earth into his gloved hand. "I think it's only been a few hours. About ten at the most."

"I'm sorry, Hunter." She finally echoed. "This is all my fault."

"Hey, hey this is no one's fault, Quisty." He stood up to console her. "I admit to being a little bit concerned for his escape, but there's no way he could've freed himself without help. There's no way we could have anticipated that."

"Thanks" Quistis returned. "That's so sweet of you. But we should have been ready for anything. I should have been ready for anything. I was just"

"I know." Hunter interrupted. "I was distracted too. But this is not the time for blaming ourselves, okay? Let's just get on his tracks and try to find him again."

But before Quistis could reply, they were both startled by the noise of roaring engines and heavy machinery. The two warriors gawked in surprise upon seeing a detachment of soldiers and armored artillery carriers. The SeeD squinted her eyes as she instantly recognized the newcomers.

"Galbadian troops? Here?"

"Maybe they're here to help us." Hunter added. They were nevertheless surprised when the squadron commander alighted from the lead carrier unit and spoke to them in a stern voice.

"Commander Quistis Trepe, I am Captain Gargant, unit leader of this Galbadian battalion. And I come here under Headmaster Kramer's direct request to take you into custody for charges of desertion. Please come with us quietly, we are prepared to use force if you choose to resist."

Though alarmed by this sudden turn of events, the instructor couldn't exactly say that she didn't see this coming. She was aware of the fact that she violated a very serious statute in Balamb Garden's charter when she attacked her comrades and abandoned them in the Temple of the Unknown King. Quistis momentarily thought about Cid Kramer, the man who was like a father to her. She knew him as one with a heart of gold, but this character doesn't exactly exempt him from performing his role as supreme head of a military academy. Despite their personal relationship, there were still rules that needed to be followed and protocols that must be observed. He has always been a stickler for discipline, a trait that was displayed with alarming frequency where Seifer Almasy was involved. He had been at the receiving end of numerous disciplinary actions not because of his attitude, but because of his many actions that defied direct orders. Unlike what was generally believed, his infamy was not so much a result of his rebellious nature as it was of his rebellious deeds. 

Such deeds that fall under the same classification as the one she had just committed. Quistis and Seifer may be as different as day and night with regards to their deportment. But under these circumstances, there was hardly anything at all to distinguish them. She's just as guilty as he was before. And she' s certainly not immune to reprimands.

But this didn't go to say that she would just raise her hands and surrender. For the resolute instructor, the gravity of the situation outweighed the demands for obedience to any charter or constitution. She made this decision to preserve the lives of her beloved friends. If she gave up now, it would be tantamount to condemning them all to a cruel death.

Quistis engraved this very thought in her mind while assuming a battle stance. Hunter smiled in admiration. Captain Gargant groaned in dismay. The fact that the Galbadian army has never won even a single battle against SeeDs didn't sit well for him.

"Sorry, Captain." The instructor bellowed firmly. "I don't want to do this, but I really have no other choice. If you have half the mind or the concern for your men, you will stand down at once and allow us to be on our way."

"You sure about this, babes?" Hunter asked. "I don't wanna be the pessimistic party pooper here, but it looks like they outnumber us twenty to one. And they have huge guns."

"You scared, honey?" Quistis answered with a grin. "Don't worry, it'll be fun. And it's been quite a while since I last fought against Galbadian soldiers."

"Scared? Hell no! It was more out of concern for them when I said they outnumber us twenty to one. It should be at least a hundred to one before they even get a ghost of a chance to beat us both."

The dreadful resonance of a pair of mystically forged steel blades sliding out from their sheaths echoed across the gap between the two warriors and the Galbadian battalion. The disconcerted Gargant whined pitifully before shouting out his command.

"Dammit ATTACK!!!"

Deafening blasts rang out as artillery fire rained over Quistis and Hunter. Moving swiftly, the warrior pair darted to the side to avoid the first wave of shelling with the SeeD casting consecutive Protect and Haste spells on herself and her beau. Temporarily ducking behind a boulder, Quistis and Hunter proceeded to plot their counterattack.

"They have a huge advantage with their artillery." Hunter blurted out. "I'll draw their fire with a frontal assault while you flank them from behind."

"Okay." Quistis returned before kissing him on the lips. 

As soon as they parted, Hunter quickly dashed from their rocky cover to meet the bombardment head on. His unnatural quickness came into play, with his lithe form moving in a haze as it hopped, skipped and jumped from one spot to another, each time narrowly missing a shell blast. Meanwhile, Quistis commenced on her part of the flanking maneuver, speedily running around the enemies' position in a wide semi-circle that eventually brought her at an angle almost behind the Galbadian battalion.

But before she can make her move, a speeding missile zeroed in on Hunter and detonated right behind him. The dark warrior was thrown a couple of yards forward by the staggering blast, his body dragged by its own momentum along the sandy ground. Fearing the worst, Quistis bellowed a raging holler.

"BASTARDS!!!" She cried out while unleashing multiple Ultima and Meteor attacks against the soldiers. The explosions of non-elemental magic combined with the earth-shattering impact of falling metallic rocks and pummeled the attacking army with their merciless force. Two Iron Clads immediately erupted in plumes of black smoke and flames as a result of the powerful magic assault.

The guns began to turn toward the instructor, preparing themselves for another round of fire. She was right at the center of the gunners' sights. Quistis knew this, but she didn't seem to mind. As the oversized muzzles blazed, she immediately summoned Quezacotl, who subsequently absorbed the brunt of the attack. Fortunately, the Protect shield provided enough protection for the Guardian Force. In a stunning display of power, the Thunder Guardian shot out from the lightning-infused ground. He spread his majestic wings, then spewed out deadly bolts of negative energy from his obscured beak that struck the metallic bodies of the war machines solidly. Another gigantic lightning bolt popped out from the dark clouds to complete the Thunder Storm attack. Two more artillery carriers collapsed afterwards.

Captain Gargant was already furious. There were only two of them against his entire panzer detachment, but they were clearly losing this battle. His frustration then worsened when he felt a shockwave that struck the lead carrier from the back. Looking out from the armored vehicle's small window, the embattled captain saw the dark knight, his arms raised up while clutching the powerful Twin Jutte. As the shimmering blades crossed, forceful Holy magic was again generated in the form of energy spheres that shot forth like bright missiles, striking the armored carriers with brutal force.

"Squad Beta! Send in Squad Beta!!!" Gargant screamed into the radio microphone. He knew that it will now take an act of god to save himself from humiliation after his entire unit was conquered by the measly strength of two warriors. But he'd rather face humiliation than extinction.

"Oh man!" Hunter bellowed when he saw the arrival of a dozen more armored carriers and gunships. Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, the beleaguered knight scampered frantically to Quistis' side.

They held each other's hands tight, their weary faces looking on dreadfully as the Galbadian war machines surrounded them from all sides.

"What now?" Hunter groaned. "I think I can still fight, but I don't like the idea of you getting hurt. There's just too many of them."

"I I don't know." Quistis stammered. The way it looked for her, they can still fight their way through this gauntlet, but she was also afraid it might leave them too worn down to battle the incubus. It was either that or they exercise the option to surrender.

But in the face of her grim fears, she quickly resolved once more that surrender will never be an option.

"We can't give up now. If we do, they're going to send my friends after the incubus. And they will surely die."

"I know." Hunter concurred. "Okay, same strategy."

"What?"

"I'm gonna draw their fire while you get the hell out of here."

"No! That's unacceptable, Hunter!" Quistis objected vehemently. "We're in this together, remember?"

"Quisty, don't argue with me. If one of us has a chance to live, I'd rather it to be you. You have a much better chance of defeating the incubus than I do."

"Hunter no"

"Besides" He looked solemnly at the instructor. "I did tell you that I'd die for you if I have to, right?"

She looked back with a stern scowl in her face. 

"If you die, I will also die. Understand?"

His heroic resolve was instantly replaced by repentance upon hearing the instructor's obstinate words. As if waking from ignorance, Hunter suddenly realized that he has ceased full ownership of his life. He now shared it with Quistis. Neither one of them can go anywhere without the other. Even unto death

A thought tormented him almost as much as the concept of a life without her love.

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Trepe." He finally said. "Okay, we're in this together. So, shall we rock and roll?"

**End of Chapter Fourteen**


	16. Chapter 15

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Fifteen**

He paced across the room restlessly, each step dragging heavily, feeling like it was weighed down by a pair of anvil-studded athletic foot straps. His mind was equally burdened with a grave turmoil brought about by recent developments. Before every turn, Cid Kramer would stop momentarily, heaving a deep breath as he pondered profoundly on the grim tidings. He couldn't help asking himself if he had done something so wrong as to lead one of his best charges on a seeming path to betrayal. Shaking his head, the confused Headmaster concentrated to purge his mind of the impure thoughts. It couldn't be, he nagged at himself. She was among his finest. It didn't matter if she had reason to or not. Her integrity was too strong, too inviolable to be seduced by any call to such a traitorous deed. No, not her. Of all people, never Quistis Trepe.

But what could possibly have brought her to act that way?

Edea just stared at her perplexed husband. She wanted to utter words to stay his anxiety, but she chose not to. They had been living and breathing each other for the most part of their eventful lives. And during the many years of conjugal coexistence, she had learned to discern when her voice has the ability to console him, and when it doesn't. The occasions had been few, yet dreadfully ominous. And she knew her husband too much to make an attempt at consoling him when she knew her efforts would net nothing. She remained silent to allow him his sullen musing. Besides, she thought, the very conflict raging in his psyche was also tearing hers asunder. She trusted the instructor too much to bring about a quick understanding of her flustering act.

Only when he broke the silence in the room did she choose to break hers.

"Where are they?"

"They're on their way." Edea curtly answered. 

As if on cue, a troika of rapping sounds echoed from the door of his office. "Come in." She bellowed to welcome the newcomers.

Squall was the first one to enter though the opened door, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, and then Irvine. It had barely been hours since they came back from the Tomb of the Unknown King, where they were rescued by Deling police officers who responded to Headmaster Cid's request. They all looked weathered down by their unexpected ordeal, but Cid couldn't care less. This matter was much too important to delay.

"Commander, please give me your report."

"Do I have to?" The SeeD leader echoed with a tinge of sarcasm. "You know what happened out there, Headmaster."

"Come on, Squall. Work with me here. I know you're upset with what happened. I know you all are. But we can't just leave this be like it's some minor mishap that'll go away by itself. Quistis turned on all of you without so much as an explanation. Whatever made her act that way is something I deem too serious to be ignored."

"I'll say." Irvine mumbled. "Good thing she just gave me the sleep treatment." He furthered while looking at Zell and Selphie, focusing on their bruises.

"And what does that suggest, Irvine?" Edea joined in.

"Simple." The gunslinger retorted. "Quisty simply wants to immobilize us. The fact that she left Diablos junctioned to Squall means she never meant to inflict any serious harm."

"Yeah. And she turned off our communicators, apparently because she wanted us out of the way long enough to give her enough time." Selphie added. 

"Give her enough time for what?" The martial artist impatiently blurted out.

"Squall, why don't you tell them?" Rinoa echoed. Everybody's attention subsequently focused on Squall, with the Headmaster eyeing him conspicuously.

"You have anything to share with the class?"

Squall exhaled resoundingly before commencing with his account. "I found an old parchment inside the crypt that supposedly housed the remains of the unknown king. It said something about a prophecy pertaining to our target, and how any group of warriors who would dare to challenge it will die."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner, Squall?" Cid exclaimed, visibly agitated by the report. "If this is the reason behind her behavior, this explains a lot of things."

"I don't know, Headmaster. Sounds like bullshit to me." Zell countered. "I mean, Quisty's supposed to be smarter than that. Why would she even believe in some old hearsay?"

"I think she was talked into it." Squall continued. "Quistis wasn't alone in this. She's got someone helping her. This person was the one who attacked me."

"Helping her? Or pulling her strings?" The gunslinger intermitted.

Cid thought deeply, deliberating on the possibility that she was in fact being manipulated by this other individual Squall mentioned. More than a year has already passed but he still felt somewhat paranoid to the subject of enthrallment. Even despite the trustworthy account of his best SeeDs, the longsuffering Headmaster couldn't completely erase from his mind the harrowing loneliness and blunt fear that dominated most of the days that he lived through while his wife was enthralled by the future-based sorceress. And though the paranoia had grown less, he still twitched once in a while whenever Edea fell in a ponderous state. Meeting their destinies had taxed his aging heart, and he has yet to fully recover from the trauma.

The possibility that this strange mystery man might be controlling Quistis scared him. Given the tidings, he started to consider the decision of recalling the entire SeeD corps to send them after her. He had already requested the Estharian task force to find her. Now he realized it might not be enough. Only a few moments ago, Cid was concerned merely for observing Garden rules against desertion. Now he was worried about the instructor's life.

"The arrest order may not be quick enough, Edea." He voiced out to his wife. The five SeeDs wondered audibly after hearing that remark.

"What arrest order?" Selphie snapped out. They were then interrupted when the twin doors suddenly burst open to a furious Dr. Kadowaki. 

"Cid, what in the world is the meaning of this?" The physician exclaimed vehemently. "I heard Xu and Nida talking about the arrest order you issued for Quistis. What is that for?"

"Garden Code: Article 21, Section 12." He curtly returned. "And I don't mean to be rude, Doctor. I know you're just trying to defend her but don't you think you're overstepping your bounds a little?"

"Headmaster, after all these years of her unqualified loyalty and dedication to you and Balamb Garden, don't you think it'd be wiser to consider that whatever made her do that was more than a damn good reason? Don't you trust her enough for that? Besides" She trailed off while tossing a glance at Squall. "She's got a lot on her mind lately."

"That is not the issue, Doctor Kadowaki. This is not about my trusting Quistis or not. This is about abiding to our laws. But" Cid's voice softened. "That's hardly our main concern right now. Considering this new information we acquired, I have reason to believe that her life may be in danger."

Picking up the phone, the Headmaster dialed a number that was scrawled on the face of his notepad. He spoke briefly, with the others wondering whom he was talking to. He then put down the phone with a rigid look in his face.

"I just informed General Pischke of Camp Tetsuo that you will be coming over once more to assist in the task of apprehending Quistis. Now I know you still don't favor the idea so let's put it this way: this has now turned into a rescue operation. Do whatever it takes to get her back. As soon as you've accomplished that part of the mission, proceed to your original objective and hunt down that mass killer."

They all acknowledged the order in unison. That was when Cid first became mindful of the missing personnel.

"Wait a minute why is Seifer not with you?"

----------

They stood defiantly in the midst of humming mechanical resonance that mixed with the whistling echoes of the warm wind. Each with their muscles tensed, each clutching their weapons tightly as if their lives depended on it. And they did. Facing more than a dozen gunships and artillery carriers, Quistis and Hunter prepared themselves for the worst. They knew that the next few moments will decide whether they continue to live or not. They had nothing to rely on now except their keen senses as warriors. They may be among the best, but even the finest of them would doubt their chances in the face of such tremendous odds.

Hunter clenched his teeth in frustration. He wasn't new to this scenario. With his body and mind honed to absolute perfection, threats like this didn't pose much of a concern for him. The rigid training he underwent as part of his development presented far worse challenges than this. He was confident of himself and his abilities. But right now, all the confidence he could muster wasn't enough to ease his anxiety for his beloved's safety. If he could have it his way, Quistis would be a million miles away from this hellhole by now. But she had to be adamant in being by his side. He should be flattered, but he wasn't. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get her out of harm's way.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Quisty." He uttered. "Should've known better than to let someone else fight my war."

"Stop talking like that, Hunter." She shot back. "Believe it or not, I'd rather be beside you while facing a million guns than be back to my old life. I'm I'm a lot happier this way, despite the circumstances. If I am to die, I might as well die here with you."

"Now you stop talking like that, babes. I'm just concerned about your safety. I promised to protect you, and I give you my word that we'll both get out of this in one piece. I'm just sorry that you have to go through all these on my account."

"Silly boy, I'm having the time of my life." She teased. "Sure beats making all those lesson plans."

An echoing voice reverberated from the flagship carrier, demanding them to lay down their arms. But instead of the gesture to surrender, the warrior couple firmed their stand. Hunter's eyes darted fiercely as he prepared himself for the worst. Quistis held her breath. Nothing could be more terrifying than the cognizance of a situation that couldn't be described in any other way aside from 'sitting ducks.' 

The armored beasts roared to life and began moving towards them.

"Rock and roll it is" The dark knight whispered.

Multiple thumps reverberated as mortar fire filled the skies with ribbons of trail smoke left in the wake of explosive shells that blazed toward the two warriors. Not wasting any time, the intruder and the instructor sped off toward different directions to avoid that earth-shaking conflagration that subsequently ensued. The deafening explosions that nearly tore through their assaulted ears muffled the sound of their rapid running. 

Ignoring the loud blasts, they each singled out the enemy gunships nearest them. Using his powerful legs, Hunter pushed hard against the ground, propelling himself to a soaring leap while twisting impossibly in mid-air to avoid the ten-inch bullets fired by the turret machine guns. Landing like a cat on top of an Iron Clad, he quickly pulled out the Twin Jutte and plunged its sharp blades into the round covering of the exit chute. With a mighty tug, the intruder pried the door open, after which he tossed in three flash grenades that subsequently detonated to stun the soldiers controlling the gunship. He then leaped off from the disabled machine as it screeched to a halt.

A tearing whine cut a swath across the air as Quistis turned to catch sight of the missile speeding toward her. Instinctively, she cracked the Save the Queen toward the projectile and caught it within the bullwhip's unbreakable coil. She heaved to spin the missile around her twice then swung hard, releasing the warhead toward a collision course with another artillery carrier. The SeeD was already dashing toward another target when the missile she hurled destroyed the carrier. Pouring all her concentration, Quistis unleashed a powerful Tornado spell that caught three gunships within a tempest of raging winds, buffeting them violently within the merciless maelstrom and sending them crashing against each other.

"What do you think you're doing, you stupid imbeciles?!?" Captain Gargant screamed in disgust into the radio receiver. "There're only two of them and they're trashing us like we're nothing! Infantry, make yourselves useful and attack! Gang up on them if you have to!!!"

Obeying the frantic command, foot soldiers armed with swords and automatic rifles popped out from the disabled gunships to attack the instructor head on. Quistis saw the horde approaching her from all directions and quickly took action, casting a Quake spell to knock them off their feet. Those who weren't felled by the magically conjured tremor were thrown back by staggering waves of compressed sound as she followed up with her Ultrawaves. 

Unfortunately, in a battle like this the weight of number has the tendency to slowly get the upper hand no matter how proficient the combatants were. Quistis was too immersed in marking the positions of the enemies that she didn't notice another Iron Clad preparing to attack her from behind. She cried out in intense pain when the blistering force of its pulse laser connected hard at her back. In the midst of deafening explosions, Hunter heard her agonized scream.

"QUISTIS!!!" His enraged holler exploded through the din. With a sudden burst of speed, the dark warrior launched from the scrapped remains of a gunship he had just destroyed and frenziedly ran to her aid. But a strong force suddenly jarred him when a burning slug tore through his right shoulder, causing him to smash face first into the sandy ground. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as he struggled to pick himself up. Now enraged beyond belief, Hunter's burning eyes fixed on the war machine rolling after him. 

Rage mixing with desperation, his body suddenly radiated bright gold rays as he prepared to execute his limit break attack. Hunter roared like a cornered lion while slapping together the Twin Jutte to form a single blade, which then started to pulse with tremendous Holy force. Seeing what was about to happen, the soldiers controlling the gunships immediately jumped clear and away from the machines. Complete silence engulfed the battlefield when the Judgment Cannon crackled to life, unleashing catastrophic magic energies directly into the mechanical adversaries, shredding them into tiny ribbons of burnt scrap metal. 

Taking advantage of the confusion, Hunter managed to reach Quistis. 

"Hey, you're hurt!"

"N-No, I'm okay." She stammered. "Just a little stunned."

They then looked up to see themselves surrounded by gun-wielding Galbadian soldiers and the remaining operational artillery carriers. Both weakened by the intense battle, Quistis and Hunter tentatively lifted themselves up, unsure of what to do next. They both knew that continued resistance in such an outgunned and outnumbered situation would be foolish. It didn't look good for them at this point.

A voice suddenly rang out, startling both them and the soldiers.

"**STOP!!!**"

Surprised by the unexpected resonance, the two combatants gazed in dumbfounded fashion when the war machines suddenly halted and the soldiers complied immediately. Whoever hollered that order was, he had to be someone with authority to be able to stop what's left of the regiment. That, or he had to be someone who commanded much fear among the Galbadian ranks. Quistis subsequently found out that it was the latter.

"They're mine." He declared obstinately, with the Galbadian soldiers gawking at him with awe. Most of them knew Seifer from the old days of the second Sorceress War, and they were quite aware of the temperament he normally displayed especially when someone became insolent enough to defy his orders. He was not one to be trifled with. 

"Anyone who so much as breathe on a trigger guard will answer to me. And you all know what that means." He glared haughtily at the soldiers.

"Seifer" Quistis muttered as she recognized her gray-clad comrade. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I don't know, instructor." His usual snide voice echoed. "Maybe you knew in the back of your mind that you couldn't hold me down just like that. Now why don't we all become nice boys and girls and surrender. There's a standing order for your arrest, instructor. And I'm here just like the loyal SeeD I am to carry it out."

"I'm sure you're having a great time." Quistis sneered back. "And what if I refuse?"

"I was hoping you'd say that." Seifer said with a fierce glare in his eyes. "I've been aching for a rematch."

"Wow." Hunter blurted out. "Look who's here, the royal pain in the ass."

The grin on Seifer's face disappeared upon hearing the dark knight's insulting remark. He wasn't one to take such words from people whom he considered strangers.

"I don't believe we've met." He echoed with a dark expression. "Would you mind giving me your name before I ram all your teeth down your throat?"

"Don't bother asking for it. It won't do you any good after I cut your tongue off." Hunter snapped back, matching Seifer's slurring tone. "And just so you know, you'll have to go through me first before you could even lay a finger on Quisty."

Quistis then glared and pushed her beau slightly aside.

"What do you think you're doing? Look at your shoulder, you're in no condition to fight him."

"This is the break we need, babes." Hunter whispered back. "It looks like his ego is too huge to allow anyone to interfere, so that means I can keep him preoccupied while you cut back to the Ragnarok. I saw the bikes stashed in the cargo bay. Get them, then"

"I told you, I'm not leaving without you!" She objected.

"No, of course not. Get them, then come back for me here."

The instructor stared intently into his eyes, as if measuring his sincerity. Her anxiety was somewhat quelled when the dark knight winked back at her reassuringly. Quistis gave one look at him before proceeding to step aside.

"Well, what do we have here? You two spend one night alone and now you're lovey-doveys? Damn, I never thought I'd live to see the instructor hit on someone else other than Sq"

"Can it!" Hunter exclaimed. "You gonna fight or what?"

"So you're that eager to die." Seifer shot back. "All right, don't mind if I indulge you."

Again, nothing was heard but sheer, metallic echoes as the Twin Jutte and the Hyperion prepared for the death match. 

**End of Chapter Fifteen**


	17. Chapter 16

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Sixteen**

Subtle, murmuring sounds traveled across the gathering of soldiers who converged around the makeshift arena to witness the confrontation between the two proud gladiators. The whispers became less hushed as some of them made a spectacle out of the impending death match. There were even those who started accepting wagers on who will emerge victorious. Some placed their bets on Seifer, while most predicted that the dark knight will prevail on account of the unbelievable combat proficiency they witnessed from him earlier. Still, a few simply wished all this to end as they turned to tend to the wounded.

The soft muttering sounds abruptly hushed down, with the spectators eagerly awaiting the battle to start. Oblivious to the proceedings around them, Hunter and Seifer bore into each other with sharp eyes. Each assessing the other's resolves, each predicting their first moves. Earlier, the arrogant SeeD saw how this black-garbed stranger laid to waste a number of fully armed panzer units almost effortlessly. He had to concede to his opponent's expertise: it wasn't everyday that he witnesses a man armed with mere twin blades standing his ground against tanks and gunships. He was good, that much Seifer knew. But then, so was Squall. And all he had to show for his 'goodness' was a scar across his face. Hunter will have two, Seifer declared.

The dark knight had almost the same thoughts in mind. He knew Seifer's capabilities. Prudence demanded that he not only observe Quistis' skills but also that of her comrades as well. He had seen Seifer in action. And he had one thing to say with regards to what he saw:

This shouldn't take more than five minutes.

Hot sand suddenly sprayed on Hunter's face after Seifer kicked hard on the ground. He was startled by the trickery and was momentarily disoriented. He should have expected this, Hunter cussed as he raised one blade to block the Hyperion. The crowd exploded into a thunderous din as the battle began. Each one shouting out excited howls to urge the two combatants hard against each other.

The gray-cloaked SeeD attacked ferociously, eager to humiliate his headstrong adversary. Each swing whistled as it violently sliced through the air. Each blow delivered a jarring shockwave that Hunter felt along his muscled arms. Each staggering strike sent bright sparks flying off from the aggressive blades. Seifer continued to press on while varying his attacks between upward stabs, overhead swings and straight jabs. But Hunter's quick parries frustrated him, as the Twin Jutte seemed to be everywhere at once. Their motions became hazy in their unparalleled speed, almost appearing as a blur in the eyes of the bloodthirsty mob bearing witness to this grudge match.

Growing impatient, Seifer suddenly lunged recklessly into Hunter, with the latter executing a smooth pivot to avoid the attack. "Eat sand!" The dark knight quipped before walloping the SeeD at the back of his head to send him crashing face-first into the ground.

"That's not exactly going through me, is it kid?"

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" Seifer roared ferociously, picking himself up for another attack. Like a crazed animal he charged, swinging and stabbing relentlessly. This time, Hunter used his agility to avoid the onrushing gunblade, ducking high strikes, sidestepping vertical slashes and leaping over low swipes. 

Seeing an opening, the dark warrior spun around once more after which he used the hilts of his short swords to land a rapid-fire of poking blows along the SeeD's back. Seifer groaned as searing pain shot out from his lungs. Hunter twisted right with an elbow on Seifer's mouth, then left with a leg swipe behind his knees. The embattled SeeD crashed on his back hard.

"Give up?" The intruder echoed, stepping back to allow his opponent some room to stand up. Lifting himself up slowly, Seifer chose against his impulse this time. His eyes gleaned sharply toward Hunter, but his mind was racing. This was no ordinary opponent, he surmised. He'd seen some of the best combatants in the world but none of them can possibly hold their ground against him. He was too fast, too strong, and overly cunning. Giving it everything he had, he still couldn't even manage to touch his adversary. For the first time in his life, Seifer smelled the stink of inevitable defeat coming his way.

But he'd rather die than be humiliated.

"Never!!!" A deafening sound thundered as metal collided against metal. Hunter grimaced as he felt a sting run down his injured shoulder while blocking that latest assault from Seifer. He poured all his strength in that blow, the dark knight assessed. He realized he had better end this fight before the young warrior injured himself.

But while pushing the Hyperion away from his face, crushing pain from his wounded shoulder startled Hunter. He turned momentarily to see a small blade plunged into it, the kind of blade operatives normally keep under their sleeves in the event of emergencies. Distracted, he didn't see the Hyperion's haft speeding towards him. Pain exploded from his face mercilessly when Seifer's attack connected. Sustaining the pressure, Seifer followed up with a Firaga blast that knocked Hunter to the ground.

Ecstatic from his successful attack, the haughty SeeD hovered over his felled opponent, his face once against assuming that familiar grin.

"Now where have I seen this dance before?" Seifer jeered while staring at the intruder who was still reeling from the onslaught. "Oh yeah, I remember now. When some idiot thought we were doing some stupid training exercise. And if I remember it correctly, the next step should be this."

Seifer's eyes glared while raising his gunblade in the air. It then plummeted down and was met by a pair of cold, Holy-infused steel blades.

"Wha" The SeeD stammered while trying to pull his weapon out from the clamp-like grip the Twin Jutte slapped on it. A sudden tug then pulled him forward, right into Hunter's waiting fist. A constellation of stars adorned the darkness that engulfed Seifer's mind.

"Sorry, but scars and Hunters don't match." Hunter quipped. "Pucker up now, your five minutes just expired."

A flurry of kicks and punches peppered the helpless SeeD. Though vicious with his attacks, Hunter cautioned against using too much force to knock the other off his feet. He wanted Seifer standing up while dealing him his punishment. For Hunter, this was the gratifying retribution he promised himself long ago while seeing this mockery of a SeeD ridicule his beloved over and over again. The poor Seifer didn't even know that Hunter had a personal agenda for fighting him.

A forward kick shot out from Hunter, which Seifer caught in his two hands. Grinning wickedly, the dark knight pushed with his other leg en route to a graceful backflip as his unbound foot struck hard against the SeeD's chin. 

He was just about to land the telling blow of the battle when an unforeseen force stopped him. Suddenly, opaque blackness engulfed his eyesight. Hunter was startled, then his blood ran cold. A few moments elapsed before the dark curtain blocked his vision once more. This time, it was accompanied by harrowing tingles that seemed to emanate from every fiber in his body. He felt his arms weakening, then his legs. His body buckled while staggering back unsteadily. Exerting effort to open his eyes, chilly fear overwhelmed the panicking knight with the realization that his eyes were opened. But he still couldn't see anything.

"Oh no!" Hunter's frightened voice echoed as he felt himself running out of breath.

He then felt hot pain explode from his midsection as the SeeD's boot planted hard against it. Taking advantage of the unexpected situation, Seifer rushed forward and struck one blow after another at the suddenly helpless Hunter. Blood spurted out as his black-gloved fists landed on the dark warrior's mouth. However, the blows Seifer delivered hardly mattered for the afflicted combatant, as the thunderously pounding throbs in his chest intensified. His skin assumed a pasty-white shade that fought with the cherry-red bruise on his jaw left by the Hyperion's handle.

Hunter sprawled on the ground, struggling frantically to catch his elusive breath. Though standing in apparent victory, Seifer was not pleased with the turn of events. He didn't know what happened to his potent enemy, and he couldn't exactly say that he didn't care. For all his faults, his gargantuan ego still prevented him from deriving pride from a half-cooked victory. It would have been sweeter had he felled the dark warrior in a more convincing fashion.

But still, this will not prevent him from collecting his bounty. Grabbing Hunter by his hair, the SeeD positioned his gunblade across his opponent's neck.

A roaring reverberation interrupted him. As he looked to see the source of the disturbance, a gap in the crowd surrounding them abruptly opened with a black jetcycle careening through the soldiers' ranks. Seifer drew a curious smile as the streamlined bike skidded to a halt a short distance before him.

"Hunter" Quistis muttered in alarm when she saw her beau with the gunblade pressed against his neck. She became possessed with conflict, torn between the urge to attack and the fear of risking Hunter's life. Sensing her reluctance, Seifer tugged the intruder's head back.

"Nice bike, instructor. Pity you won't be using it today." He shot out while pushing his blade harder against Hunter's exposed neck. "Even you can't possibly miss how this little drama will turn out."

She gritted her teeth in fury. "Seifer, I swear I'll kill you if you hurt him."

"Aw, I'm so touched." He snidely retorted. "Now stop wasting my time and surrender your junctions. I'm bringing you and your lover boy in, and you know there's not a blessed thing you can do about it."

Quistis sighed in defeat, knowing that she had no choice but to give in. The steady hum of the jetcycle consequently died down as she turned the ignition switch off.

----------

The trip to the Estharian Kashkabald command center didn't take more than a few hours. But for Quistis and Hunter, it may as well have been forever. Both of them didn't know what to think at the moment. Being captured by the Galbadian detachment sent to arrest them didn't exactly sit well with their mission. At this moment, the dreaded incubus might already be leading another town to the slaughter. Worse, they had to consider the prospect of Balamb Garden sending another SeeD team to do the job. Considering that Seifer managed to track them, Quistis guessed that it was safe to say her other comrades have already been rescued by this time. And by this time, they may also be on their way to battle the soul devourer.

On their way to their deaths

She wanted desperately to escape and carry on with her self-appointed task. But seeing Hunter in such a pitiful state a few hours ago scared her. She wasn't sure what happened. She didn't know if Seifer was indeed successful in getting the better of the dark warrior. And right now she couldn't care any less. All she knew was Hunter needed medical attention, and she was determined to get it for him, which was part of the reason why she consented on giving up all her junctions to Seifer. He had been showing marked improvements since his battle with her arrogant comrade, but Quistis was by no means willing to take any chances. She will not leave his side until she was assured of his safety.

Her hands gently held on to his shoulders to prevent him from lurching forward as the personnel vehicle they were riding on abruptly stopped. He smiled at her warmly, his gentle eyes assuring her that he was feeling all right. The red radiance of the setting sun flooded into the vehicle as the door opened, with a hefty soldier standing by to coax them out.

"Commander Trepe, Sir, walk this way, please." The private echoed in a half-requesting and half-ordering tone. They may have been put under arrest, but military protocols still provided them with the courtesy due to military officials. The same courtesy was extended them when the Galbadian personnel turned them over to the Estharian troops.

The two were then led into the biggest tent in the cluster composing the makeshift camp. It was truly a wonder, and even had its own airconditioning. Quistis slightly quivered when the cold air met her face as they walked through the parted curtain of the entrance. The Estharian soldiers continued to act with respect while leading them into a room subdivided by fiberglass walls. They were then made to sit beside each other in one of the chambers. A table stood in front of them, over which a silver tray rested with four cups made of hard plastic, set beside a coffee maker half-filled with the famed Deling roast.

"Ooh! I hope it's not decaf." Hunter whispered. Despite their compromised states, Quistis couldn't help but chuckle fondly. The smile on their faces relinquished when two important-looking Estharian officers walked into the room.

"Commander Trepe, Sir, we are Lieutenant's Lidia Lee and Boro Makamaka, deputy officers of the Estharian Kashkabald detachment." Opened the smaller of the two with a solid, female voice. "And perhaps we don't need to brief you why you were brought here."

"Yes." Quistis replied. "I'm being held on charges of desertion. I know."

"Yes ma'am." Continued Lieutenant Lee. "And in behalf of our commanding officer, I would like to apologize if our men have mistreated you in any way. Well, not counting your rather unfortunate encounter with the Galbadian troops. You have to understand that they were only following orders."

"I know. And you also have to understand that I was merely following my orders." The instructor countered. "I don't wish to raise another issue, Lieutenant. But you are making a big mistake by holding us here. You have to release us immediately."

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Makamaka interjected. "But that's not for us to decide. At 2300 hours we will be turning you over to a team from Balamb Garden. After which you will be transported back to"

"That's unacceptable." Quistis shot out, her voice now more aggressive. The two lieutenants fought against the intimidation brought by her authoritative tone. "I demand to speak with your commanding officer at once!"

"No need to get so antsy, Commander Trepe." A voice echoed from the background. "You can talk to me anytime you want. You know that."

Quistis' face lit up upon seeing Captain Andrea Frost alight from the dividing walls. "Captain Frost, nice to see you again."

"Same here, Commander." Andrea returned. "I'm sorry that it had to be under less than favorable circumstances, though."

Though genuinely glad to see the Balamb instructor, the jovial expression on Andrea's face disappeared when she noticed her companion. As the captain recognized the dark knight, she felt a foreboding coldness run down the base of her spine.

And for that matter, so did he.

"H-Hunter?"

"Andrea"

----------

Twenty hundred hours. She stared at her military watch apprehensively, unsure of her feelings. She didn't know whether she wanted time to sit still or go on fast forward. In two hours, a team of SeeDs from Balamb Garden will arrive to relieve her hands of the responsibility of holding the two warriors turned fugitives. As the seconds ticked away, she still couldn't tell whether she did want to turn them over to the SeeDs or not.

The instructor didn't concern her that much, though. As she thought about this late afternoon's startling meeting, she couldn't help questioning this emotion that had been bothering her since. The swivel chair creaked as Andrea Frost uneasily pushed herself to a slow rotation. The effort to deny the admittance proved futile as she eventually accepted that she was still bothered by his presence.

But why? It had been more than four months since she last saw him. And though their parting wasn't exactly a friendly one, she can't exactly say that she was on the losing end of the deal. In fact, she was sure that she wasn't. The insistence of leaving Hunter for her current lover tried to push stubbornly into her mind. She was so sure that that was her reason, despite the other that also weighed heavily on her decision.

Andrea moaned in frustration. Why was she feeling this way? She was so sure that her life with Jae was a happy one. But what's causing this terrible perturbation? Was it the guilt of having treated him unfairly? Was it the surprise of seeing him again? Or was it because of something that she never thought lingered up to this day?

It was only the day before she was commissioned with her current assignment that Jae expressed his intent to marry her. Andrea remembered feeling happy during that day. She was so ecstatic that she even called up her friends in Timber, Kat and Arthur, who only half a year ago got married themselves. She remembered wanting to shout her joy to the world.

There has to be a reason behind this ominous feeling of dread. She had to know. Maybe that's why she ordered for Hunter to be brought before her. Her mind was currently racing in anxious thoughts when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." She voiced out hesitantly. And her reluctance was with good reason. Her heart skipped a beat when Hunter peered through the portal.

"Hi"

"H-Hi" She echoed back. "Come in, please."

"You You wanted to see me?" He said with equal reluctance.

"Well, I'm guessing that much is obvious." Andrea joked to drive in some levity. "Please sit down."

"No" Hunter returned. "I'm fine standing up. So what do we need to talk about?"

He was still upset, she guessed. Hunter had always been like this, as she remembered, always passing on a chance to relax whenever he was bothered by something. Despite her nervousness, the Estharian officer tried to appear nonchalant.

"So how did you get dragged into this?" She opened.

"You're one to ask." Hunter replied wryly. "I thought I already told you about this before when we were still" His voice stopped upon realizing the direction being treaded by his words. Hunter promptly felt a fit of awkwardness.

Andrea caught his discomfort, but subsequently decided to ignore it.

"You mean that all this time we've been tracking the soul reaper that you've been telling me before?" Her voice came back vehemently. "I see so I guess the question should be: how did she get dragged into this?"

"She's the one, Andie." He returned firmly. "She's the one."

"The one? The one what? You mean she's the one that this prophecy singled out? Or" She trailed off, noting the look of resolve on his face. "The one that you well"

"All of the above."

"Well well, I guess in spite of all this mess, we still have something to celebrate then." Andrea said while trying to analyze her reaction. She looked hard into herself, delving deeply in trying to detect any feeling of contempt, envy or jealousy. A peaceful smile crossed her lips upon detecting nothing.

But still, there was need for an apology. An explanation of her abrupt decision made a few months prior to this chance meeting. Being sure of herself, she now concluded that the unrest she was feeling earlier was indeed born of guilt. A feeling of accountability that she had to settle with him once and for all.

"Hunter I I'm sorry about before" She began tentatively. "I really should have at least explained to you my side properly. To tell you the truth, I still blame myself for acting all proud as if you're the one who owed me a favor. That was incredibly ridiculous and insensitive of me"

"Wait wait wait Andie, are you under the impression that I'm still mad at you?"

"Well, yeah. Don't tell me you're not mad at me"

"No. Not anymore." He declared. "I don't mean to offend you but honestly, I almost totally forgot about you, at least during these past few days."

"Aww don't tell me. It's because of Quistis, isn't it? Are you two?"

"Yes, we are. In fact, she already accepted my marriage proposal." Hunter beamed proudly.

"Really? Omigosh!" Andrea squealed in delight. "I-I'm so happy for you. This DOES call for a celebration!" Her gleeful gaze lingered long at Hunter's serene expression. She couldn't help mirroring his gladness. At the very least, the burden of guilt bludgeoning her conscience had finally taken its leave. "So it turned out beautifully after all."

"Yes, yes it did. This is way more than I expected."

"I'll say. Imagine, a beautiful woman like that who also happened to be a SeeD commander. Hunter, no offense but she's definitely way out of your league."

"Call me the luckiest man in the world and be done with it." The dark knight returned.

But then, his cheerful expression slowly transformed into that of sullen contemplation. Andrea saw the change in his face, and she didn't feel the least bit surprised. She knew exactly why Hunter grew melancholic all of the sudden.

"Have you told her?" She asked pensively. Hunter shook his head.

"No not yet. I I don't know if I can"

**End of Chapter Sixteen**


	18. Chapter 17

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Seventeen**

There were more than twenty moving parts assembled in one intricate and impressive mechanism that comprised the sleek and effective Hyperion. It was designed for accuracy and silence. Even when pulling the trigger while striking an enemy, it hardly made a sound, at least not one that leveled to that of his rival's Lionheart. Seifer had always wondered what was so special about that weapon Squall wielded. A little Adamantine, Dragon Fang and Pulse Ammo and the world already feared him. Did they really fear him or his weapon? Why be afraid of a mere weapon, he asked. One was just about as useful as a razor blade in the hands of a Parkinson's patient. It wasn't the weapon that counted, it was the warrior behind it.

He grimaced and wished he never even coined that adage. The Twin Jutte, even if combined, was still far shorter that the Hyperion. If anything, the man who wielded it did nothing but prove him correct, much to his disdain. Seifer still couldn't believe how someone who was at least three inches shorter than him and with no reputation to speak for whatsoever could best him so convincingly. But as he recalled the battle, he could only concede to his opponent's mastery of the fighting arts. He was quick and agile beyond belief. And he seemed to have the ability to read his mind. No one has ever done that to Seifer before. Not even Squall. If there was one thing that he made sure to master during his training, was that to prevent his body from giving away incoming attacks. But the strange warrior predicted his every maneuver like he was moving in slow motion.

Seifer groaned in disgust. Try as he might, he couldn't deny that it wasn't Hunter's prowess that was disturbing him. He may be egotistical, but even he wasn't inflicted with the futile infirmity of dishonesty to one's self.

_"Seifer, I swear I'll kill you if you hurt him."_

It appalled him, but Seifer couldn't dispute the truth that he was in fact frustrated after hearing Quistis shoot those words to him. Even if he wasn't the most cooperative comrade she had, he still didn't like how she unequivocally chose the side of that stranger. She was supposed to be his colleague. They may not be that amiable as friends like she was with the others, but a SeeD should always know where to stand, and that should be beside fellow SeeDs. But instead, she even threatened to kill him. This was a far cry from the Quistis he knew who may have grudgingly stood behind him in past missions, but also made it clear that she will die in his defense if necessary. Nope, that wasn't Quistis at all.

He felt half-amused and half-annoyed at himself. Was he feeling jealous? Why was he even bothering himself with such thoughts? Only two days ago he was lashing at her, accusing her for being partly responsible for reminding him always of his now hopeless position as far as Rinoa was concerned.

"To hell with this!" He mumbled. He had thrived before without her vaunted approval. There was absolutely no reason why he couldn't use his infamous indifference to urge himself against caring. Concentrate on the job, make sure she was brought into custody, finish the assignment, and then go home to his posse. At least their allegiance was always assured.

Yet somehow, Seifer sensed a predilection against turning Quistis in. This was one more thing that he hated about himself. The instructor was instrumental for helping him regain his place in the Garden that he once betrayed. He owed her much, another thing that he had been trying to refute along with the fact that in spite of himself, he truly had always believed in her.

----------

Andrea sighed while gazing at Hunter with concern. She noted the look of resignation in his face as he peered quietly outside the window. She almost felt jealous, he didn't act this way before with her. His dilemma had always existed ever since she met him but it was only now that she saw it affect him this heavily.

"You never had that much trouble trying to tell me about it." She rested her head over her arms. The words carried an almost accusing tone, and it would have been exactly that if she still harbored a longing for that bond they once shared. The smile he returned with was clearly laced with sadness.

"Yeah, you're right." Hunter concurred. "Says lots, doesn't it."

"You really fell for her hard, didn't you?" Andrea replied.

He just nodded in resignation.

"Hunter" Andrea began anew. "Do you remember why you were compelled to let me in on your secret?"

"Of course." He quipped back. "You deserved to know."

"Yes, I did. And so does Quistis." She smiled faintly. "You did the right thing when you opened yourself up to me. It just happened that I couldn't accept that truth. I could never live with something like that."

"Is that why you left me?" Hunter asked intently. "It's because of that thing that you can't live with? And not because of Jae?"

"The truth? Yes, it's because of that. I loved you but I didn't love you that much, I guess. And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry."

Hunter felt his knees weaken and consequently sunk to the floor. There was a time when he hoped to hear those very words, believing that he wouldn't feel as hurt if Andrea had chosen to leave him because of his own irresolvable shortcoming, and not due to a reason that involved another man. It would have been kinder for him. But now the effect was completely the opposite. This only proved that Andrea would still have left him even if she hadn't met Jae. And Quistis can and may do the same thing.

"I'm so scared." His guttural voice echoed. "She might do the same thing you did. I I don't think I can take that rejection. Not from her."

"So what are you going to do? Keep it from her? You know something like that doesn't stay hidden permanently. She's bound to know sooner or later."

"I know" Hunter echoed heavily as he pushed himself up. Thinking back, he remembered all the chances he took and risks he accepted throughout the long and tumultuous course of his life. His predestined existence was ironically adorned with so many decisions that he had grown almost immune to the rigors of making a choice. This was just another crossroad to him, merely one of many. But unlike the past ones, he didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life, he didn't know which way to go. Either fork carried too much at stake.

He then realized that both forks eventually converged on the same destination. Hunter recognized the truth that an option just didn't exist for him. Andrea knew this, and she could not feel anything but pity for him.

"I have no choice." He stated dejectedly. 

"I'm sorry" She repeated prior to landing a caring hand on his shoulders. "I know it's a long shot. But if there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Hunter closed his eyes to dam in the rush of melancholy that had been threatening since a few moments ago. He wanted to thank her, but his voice was dammed in as well in his weighted throat. He had always hated being in a no-win situation. He tried to momentarily kill the thought while remembering the urgent business at hand.

"Yes, there is one thing you can do." He forced out. "Let us go. Quisty and I still have a job to do."

"But Hunter, I can't do that. I'm under orders."

"Andie, look at me." Hunter turned to her with a firm look in his glistened eyes. "The killer is still out there. And I know that you know that I'm telling the truth about Quisty and myself. We are the only ones who have any hope of defeating it. Not you, nor your army, nor those SeeDs. Only us."

The Estharian captain assumed her professional mindset and stared resolutely into the dark knight. Hunter sensed the skepticism budding in her mind.

"Look into my eyes. Andrea, you know me. You know I'm telling the truth. You have to release us because if you don't, you'll be condemning countless more innocent lives!"

"Yes, I know you, dammit." She snapped back. "But you also have to know that I'll be risking my entire career in granting your request."

"Andrea, you've always wanted to do the right thing. It's just unfortunate that you have to be limited by the authority of your superiors." He answered. "And this instant is no different. If I could, I'd certainly try to protect you but right now, we really can't do anything else."

The captain replied with a wry chuckle. "Why are you asking me this, Hunter? You're the world's greatest escape artist. I know that you can take off from this place whenever you want to."

"Yeah But it's going to make you look a lot worse for failing to secure a prisoner."

She smiled. Hunter's thoughtfulness had always been one of his finer aspects that still endeared him to her. Captain Frost then turned around to activate the backlight of the display board behind her desk.

"All right, you win." She finally conceded. "But before you go, there's something I have here that might help you. Look here."

Hunter trained his eyes to the white display panel that showed a detailed map of the southern Esthar continent. The cartographic display covered the immense area between Kashkabald Desert and the fabled Lenown Plains of the former Centra continent. Andrea reached behind the lighted board for her laser pointer.

"See this black outline and the small red dots?" She began to explain. "The black line stretching from Lenown Plains is the path of the creature as tracked by the overhead sentinel satellite. The red dots are the towns that littered the face of southern Esthar."

"Okay" Hunter acknowledged. His brows met while focusing on the display.

"Now take a look at this. This is the position of the monster yesterday when you and Commander Trepe engaged it. It's plain obvious that in order to get there, it had to traverse a wide corridor just north of the eastern branch of Talle Mountains." The red laser dot traced an oval scoping the area she emphasized. "The creature is heading north-eastward toward the side of Cactuar Island. But there's something strange about this."

Hunter slowly nodded his head. "There are no more towns along that path. Whereas there are four on the western bound of Talle Mountains."

"Exactly. For some reason, he deliberately swerved east, in the process traveling away from those desert towns. I thought it's strange because the creature had been so predatorial in going after one village after another. There has to be something that turned his attention to the east when he should have turned west, based on his 'feeding' pattern, so to speak."

The Estharian captain wasn't finished yet with her statement, but Hunter's face had already begun to assume an unsettled hue with the dawning of a frightful realization. His voice was frantic when he spoke out once more.

"What's his current position right now?"

"We don't know. The satellite had already passed beyond range as of noon yesterday." Andrea retorted. "Why?"

"Shoot I was too distracted with Quistis that I failed to realize this sooner." He contemplated, his face turning pale with alarm. "I'm betting that he turned south along the sea as soon as he reached the northernmost tip of those mountains."

"Why? What's he after?"

"The graveyard of the incubus clan." Hunter replied anxiously. "He's going to resurrect the incubus clan! Andie, you have got to help us. We need to get there immediately."

"Yes, of course. Take my cruiser. You can get there in less than an hour with it."

"Thanks." He shot back. "And please, whatever you do, do not send your men after us. Those already in the field, recall them. It's too dangerous for them. Quisty and I will have to take care of this ourselves."

"Hunter" Andrea called out before Hunter made his exit. "What do we do if you fail?"

"No don't even think about it"

----------

Sirens started blaring loudly, piercing the night air with deafening resonance. The response was quick, with a melange of rapid footsteps of Estharian and Galbadian soldiers responding to the emergency. A squadron managed to reach the wide artificial scaffolding where the Estharian air detachment was docked. The soldiers stopped abruptly when they saw a dark green shuttle cruiser speeding onto the makeshift runway. They were too late to stop it.

As the cruiser lifted off, a pair of eyes gazed at it curiously. Watching it disappear into the clouds, the lad with the long, gray coat grinned thoughtfully. He was pondering earlier whether to play a role in the escape of his comrade, deliberating if he should do it and in the process give her the satisfaction of seeing his soft side. Seifer sighed thankfully. Now that Quistis had escaped, at least his plan came together with his reputation still intact.

He thought about the dark knight who accompanied her, his grin widening with fascination at the thought that the instructor had finally met her match.

"Well what do you know" He muttered. Squall had just lost his strongest cheerleader.

He looked to his side just as a certain Estharian captain joined him on top of the ledge overlooking the camp. She looked back at him with her familiar, commanding expression. Seifer raised an eyebrow in telling her that he wasn't the least bit impressed with her display of authority. Especially not after what she had just allowed to happen.

"What are you looking at?" Captain Frost shot out.

"Nothing." The SeeD snapped back with a snicker. "You realize this will create one hell of a mess, Captain. But don't worry, I won't tell if you won't."

Andrea smiled amusedly. "Deal."

----------

Aboard the shuttle cruiser, an uneasy silence permeated as the instructor quietly manned the controls of the speeding aircraft. Hunter sat beside her, equally silent. But his mind was far from assuming the same stillness that prevailed around them. If it had been under a more normal situation, he would have easily dismissed her silence without much thought. Maybe she was just concentrating and focusing all her attention to the mission at hand. Or maybe she was exhausted. There can be a lot of reason why a girl would suddenly stop talking.

But he knew they weren't under normal situations. He saw the questioning look in the instructor's face when she realized the truth about the Estharian captain being an old 'acquaintance' of his. And she certainly noticed how he avoided her interrogating eyes when a sergeant came by their holding cell to tell him that the captain wished to talk to him. Hunter subsequently questioned why didn't he just tell her outright what was happening. He didn't really intend to, but in being apprehensive about her reaction, he had inadvertently kept her in the dark regarding an integral part of his past.

Just one of the cons of a whirlwind relationship, he thought. If they were to be allowed the time, he estimated at least two months of perennially groping in the dark for the two of them to get the handle of each one's quirks and idiosyncrasies. But 'getting to know' stages have always been fun, he thought. Morbidly speaking.

"Quisty" Hunter opened. Deep inside, he was really bothered by her silence. "A"

"If you say 'a penny for your thoughts' I swear I'm going to jump overboard."

"What?" He blurted out. "I don't think I understand"

"Um, forget it." Quistis relented with a deep sigh. "Just try not to mind me. I'm fine."

"No you're not, babes." He came back. But her repartee just furthered his agitation.

"Please don't call me that, Hunter." She said, and the way she emphasized his name disturbed him even more. 

Now he could never deny the fact that she was upset about her discovery. Hunter stayed his urge to respond, unsure of how to explain his side. In the end, he realized that there wasn't anything he could offer in explanation. He kept something from her. It may have been inconsequential but that was according to HIS standards. In his experience, women have a strange way of judging what is harmless and what is not.

"Look I'm sorry." He started out anew. "I know I should have told you about her."

"You did, remember?" She answered rather quickly. "You just didn't mention her name. And wonder of all wonders, it had to be Captain Frost of all people."

"Yeah, this is such a small world, isn't it?" Hunter remarked. "I just don't know why I'm being blamed because of that."

Quistis felt like she had been placed at the receiving end of Leviathan's Tsunami attack, her annoyance instantly doused by icy cold currents of guilt when she realized her mistake. How could she even harbor ill feelings towards Hunter for an element of his past, during a time when he didn't even know she existed? She looked at him repentantly, noting the sad hue in his face. She had to remember the many times she advised her students how unfair it would be to blame their partners for some deeds or misdeeds they committed when they didn't know each other yet. Quistis felt sorry for her behavior, instilling in her mind to practice what she perennially preached.

"No I'm sorry." She sighed. "I shouldn't be barking at you like this about Andrea. Maybe I'm just afraid that"

"That I still want her back?"

"Yeah"

"No, I don't. I just want you."

Not a few times did Quistis hear of men utilizing the indirect tone to avoid being branded as liars while trying to dodge the issues thrown at them by their doubtful partners. How many times has she heard such elusive repartees as _'What do you think?'_ or _'You still have the gall to say that after what we've been through?'_ or _'It's not healthy to think that way.'_, etc, etc.

_'No, I don't. I just want you.' _ The curtness of Hunter's words said it all. Now more than ever, she realized she had no reason to doubt him. And Quistis made sure that Hunter knew this by wrapping her arms around his neck and lovingly kissing him on the cheek.

He returned her embrace and held her close. Hunter could hear Quistis whispering to him, professing her devotion repeatedly. He gently pushed her head against his shoulders to draw her eyes away from his. He didn't want her to see through him, to witness the wetness in his eyes as he thought about the prophecy of doom pledged to anyone tasked to end the soul devourer's life. Hunter's mind raced for an answer, his heart groped for a way out to allow them their lives in each other's arms. But he couldn't find any.

The vessel's sensors sounded to alert them of a strange energy signature emanating from a cave merely a few hundred yards away.

"Well, this is it." Quistis echoed as she let him go. Her eyes also threatened to well out. "Let's hope that prophecy doesn't hold out."

----------

It had taken him what seemed like forever to reach this detestable resting ground. He had been waiting for this opportunity. And now glory was again within his reach. Before his depraved presence, the barren field inside the cavernous hall lay like a frustrated hostage, deathly eager for his mighty hands to liberate the hellish beings trapped within its bosoms. The incubus lord groaned with the growing thrill in anticipation of this moment. Soon, he will be reunited with his kin. It was just a matter of time.

The ghastly minions suddenly grew restless. They detected the approach of a threat that they knew had the power to thwart their master. He turned to them with his appalled face and took heed of their warning. His smoldering eyes then gazed upward to witness the coming of his enemies. Growling resonance echoed from his debauched maw as the cognizance of a final encounter dawned unto his sinister mind. A vow was then made as he stared fiercely at the aircraft streaking across the night sky.

Tonight, his enemies will meet their end.

**End of Chapter Seventeen**


	19. Chapter 18

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Eighteen**

"What do you mean you let her go?"

"What part in that did you not understand? I let her go. I let her walk. Sounds like straightforward English to me, Chicken-wuss."

"For the last time, Seifer. Stop calling me Chicken-wuss!" An irate Zell barked into his communicator. "And don't you get it? We have direct orders to bring Quistis in!"

He heard that familiar, deriding chuckle answer back. And then the voice tone that he had learned to like as much as he did a hot dog that had been stored in the freezer for one year. "No, you're the one who doesn't get it, wuss. You have direct orders to arrest her. The Galbadians and the Estharians have direct orders to arrest her. I don't. Capice?"

A loud, banging noise shot out when the martial artist annoyingly slammed his fist against the metal-polymer wall inside the cockpit of their SeeD personnel carrier. "Hot friggin' damn! One of these days I swear I'll get even with that puke-face!" Irvine and Rinoa just looked on as Zell marched out of the small chamber, his feet like lead as they stomped furiously on the floor. 

Squall wasn't making a sound as he sat beside Selphie on the co-pilot seat. But his mind was racing with perplexed thoughts. Never mind that he knew about the prophecy that was driving Quistis to such unorthodox behaviors. It was just too puzzling to even believe that anything could push her to this act of apparent betrayal. Seifer's account of her actions done in collusion with the black-garbed stranger brought even more dumbfounding angles into this flustering situation. They had been trying to contact her, but her communicator was off. A clear contradiction to her usually scrupulous method of operating. 

But in truth, there was one perspective that he had been avoiding to ponder on. The one possible reason why all of the sudden his deputy would abandon them and take off just like that. Seifer's sneering guffaw even added to his perplexed mindset. Squall knew that there was something behind that condescending jeer. And in the back of his mind, he somewhat acknowledged that he already had a clue about the information his rival had defiantly refused to share with them. He thought about the man reportedly seen with his estranged friend. And for some reason, Squall felt irritated.

----------

Everything started to add up in Hunter's mind as he dismounted from the dark green aircraft loaned them by his former beau. His thoughts mixed in confusing shambles at first when he tried to analyze everything he knew about his enemy's behavior. Yet soon, the tangles slowly unraveled and pieced themselves together one at a time. He already knew that the incubus lord was going to the burial place of his people. He was already certain that he intended to resurrect them. And there was one remaining piece of the puzzle that only now was he able to solve.

"Can't believe I didn't think of this sooner."

"Think about what?" Quistis whispered back. Her voice was faint, but it was still more audible than the sound made by their nimble movements while they approached the soul reaper's stronghold.

"The incubus was excessively greedy while he consumed the lives of the villages that were on his path." He returned. "It's very peculiar."

"How so?"

"You see, Quisty, an incubus is nothing more than a supernaturally empowered parasite. A cross between a predator and a force of nature. It's like a squirrel collecting nuts. Usually, a squirrel eats only until he's full. And it doesn't take much to do it. You won't see one stuffing his cheeks unless"

"Unless he's storing it for himself" The instructor thought. " That, or he's going to use the food he stored to feed his young."

"Or in the case of the incubus, his clan." Hunter added. "He ravaged all those villages and towns because he was trying to store enough soul energy to replenish his people."

Her eyes remained alert, but over the years Quistis had learned how to master the art of dividing her attention between two sides of equal bearing. She heard everything that Hunter said and analyzed the ramifications herself. As a result, her pace quickened with the realization that if they didn't hasten, they will not be facing one, but an army of soul devourers.

Her pretty face assumed a scowl. Quistis nearly cursed at herself for neglecting to take back her junctions from Seifer. She needed them badly right now. Not that she always fought with junctions. Even before Quistis became a SeeD, her personal daily regimen already included at least two hours of combat training without the aid of Guardian Force abilities. As she remembered those practice sessions, Quistis subsequently created visions in her mind of one situation when she fought a T-Rexaur without junctions. She succeeded, but just barely.

How could she expect to fare any good against the incubus without magic powers? How could she even think of succeeding, much more surviving? Fighting the incubus without the assistance of the GFs is like fighting Ultimecia with a gag on her mouth and one hand tied behind her back. Quistis groaned exhaustedly while looking at the long, golden whip hanging from her waist buckle. She will just have to rely heavily on her weapon now. No magic, no GFs, no anything. Just herself and her bullwhip. 

The cold air suddenly grew more frigid, its biting iciness penetrating deep into their bones. The cold carried with it an eerie stench normally present only in deserted mortuaries. Quistis and Hunter could easily detect the whiff of death, reeking with the foul smell of blood, lies and corruption. They knew the approach of the enemy and this was it. They readied themselves as the shadow in their minds grew larger and more ominous. Anytime now, the odious knuckles of doom will come knocking. 

A rotting hand suddenly burst forth from the ground and grabbed Hunter's leg. "Aaaahhh!!!" He yelped as the slimy sensation startled him. Another hand emerged to grab his other leg. The dark warrior struggled to no avail as the hands pinned his feet into the ground.

"Quisty, move!" He bellowed. But before she could do so, another pair of grimy arms shot out and slithered around her body. Quistis shrieked in fright when the head of a minion suddenly pushed out in front of her face. She grimaced in disgust as her nose was assaulted by the decaying thrall's acrid breath.

One by one, the soul reaper's undead slaves began digging themselves out from their underground concealment. The picture was that of a nightmare, with the two embattled warriors finding themselves surrounded by the zombie-like throng. The horrendous facade facing the instructor widened the opening of its maw in a hideous grin as it oozed a thick, green material that flowed like rotten slime. She fought the tumbling sensation in her stomach brought by the substance's offensive stench. 

"Bloody hell!" Hunter blurted while quickly reaching for his weapon. In one deft move, the Twin Jutte instantly cleaved the decaying appendages chaining him to the ground. White maggots spilled out from the severed wrists that were left sticking out from the ground. He quickly went to help Quistis break free from her ghastly shackles, but was surprised to feel the strength of the arms imprisoning her.

"Ugghhh!!!" The dark knight groaned as he poured all his might in prying the arms off her. Loud cracking sounds echoed as the appendages broke off from their joints. The minion wailed in pain after losing its degenerated arms. Quistis tried to get up but was hampered by the jagged teeth when the unholy creature suddenly bit her on the leg.

"Unhh!" Her teeth gritted in pain. Even with the Kevlar protection of her battle suit, she still felt the sharp fangs beginning to sink into her flesh. Her wrist instinctively snapped, striking a blow that sliced the minion's head open.

"At least now we know how the incubus broke free." Quistis got up to join her partner, her gloved hand clutching her bullwhip tight while her eyes darted swiftly to assess the threat of the undead thralls surrounding them. Hunter grimaced in a mix of pity and disgust, seeing that the minions had already degraded to an advanced, zombie-like state, the decaying flesh starting to fall off from the graying bones together with their teeth and eyeballs. His disgust turned to vindictive rage, as if he was seeing his friends in the forms of those pitiful victims.

"Hunter, I'm going after the incubus. Cover me."

"No, we go together." He objected. Despite the threat, he still couldn't bear letting Quistis face the soul reaper by herself. If the prophecy was to come to fruition, he'd rather it happen with his beloved beside him. 

But the stalwart SeeD had another thing in mind. If the prophecy were to come true, she'd rather face it alone. 

"No. Stay." Quistis uttered before lashing out with the Save the Queen to cut down one of the thralls surrounding them before running off.

"Damn we're not even married yet and she's already dominating me." Hunter muttered. He had no choice now but to engage the enemies in combat. With a mighty leap, he flew off over the undead minions, landing on the ground behind them like a cat. Hunter twirled, the Twin Jutte jutting out from the mini-whirlwind he created to pummel two more enemies with its Holy-powered blades.

Two more hands abruptly emerged from the earth and slapped a tight grip on his legs again. But this time, Hunter was ready. Channeling all his strength to his legs, he let loose a mighty jump that launched himself in the air, pulling out the undead thrall from the ground. While soaring in midair, the dark warrior bent his knees forward to bring the enemy before him and swiftly slice its head off. He then landed in the midst of more zombie slaves.

"This is going to be a long night"

----------

Quistis walked into the cave cautiously, all her senses primed to their peak in anticipating the coming of more enemies. Her footsteps were slow yet deliberate, leaving nothing behind as she treaded on the rocky ground without making any sound. Her ears filtered everything that entered it, noting the telltale trickling sounds of lime-laced water dropping from the jagged protrusions hanging down from the cavern ceiling. The freezing air continued to bite into her Kevlar-protected skin as the dark pupils of her sapphire eyes widened intensely to take in as much light as it could. 

It took some time for her vision to adjust to the darkness cloaking the winding path that brought her deeper into the water-carved labyrinth. The air smelled of depravity and fornication, continuing to assault her senses. She fought hard to ignore the sickening stench that threatened to overwhelm her fortitude. 

A portion of the walls started crumbling in the midst of clawing reverberations coming from inside it. The embankment collapsed to reveal a troika of zombie slaves that subsequently stood in her path. The SeeD's eyes blazed in combat readiness. She whirled her bullwhip in the air, cracking it in a flash of golden fury. In the blink of an eye, the three minions fell on the ground with their bodies cut in half.

"Impressive" A raspy voice tore through the deathly silence. "I think I now see why my enemy has enlisted your prowess. You truly are a master of your art."

She turned to the sight of the vile soul devourer. His eyes shone in the darkness with crimson sparks of malevolent power. The white orbs engulfing his hideous hands threatened with the raw force of a thousand souls he had feasted on in his decades long existence. As he spoke, Quistis was nearly intoxicated by the debauchery steaming forth from his mouth.

"It will be a shame to waste the life of one such as you."

The entity before her radiated with the power of a god. Quistis spent a moment to reconsider her options. In her current, powerless state, she was certainly no match for this murderer whose life spanned countless centuries. She felt like a gnat facing the wrath of a dragon. The way it looked for her, there apparently was no other course but to face death.

No matter, she told herself. If she was indeed the chosen one, she will find a way to conquer the death-bringer. It didn't matter if she died in the process. This will be a good death.

"My life won't be wasted as long as I take you with me to oblivion." She echoed defiantly. The incubus smiled with a wickedness that seemed to have gathered all of the world's evils.

"Then perhaps apologies are in order. For I truly am sorry to disappoint you."

Sizzling white fire exploded from his fists and eyes. Quistis didn't move, and just watched as the conflagration blazed toward her. The throbs of infernal pain subsequently engulfed her with its blowing wind fire that scalded her face and burned her body. Only the protection of the battlesuit she wore spared her from certain doom.

"Ahhh" She cried out in immense pain. Tears trickled down her burning face as she struggled to face her tormentor who was now upon her.

"So you have a death wish, I see." He said. 

But before the incubus could follow up, he was startled by the sudden appearance of brilliant lights that surrounded his prey. He stepped back, unaware of the phenomenon that had taken over as the SeeD felt the force of her fury coming to fore. Despite the horrendous pain, the instructor allowed a faint smile in her lips after feeling her gamble pay off. Quistis then stood up and hollered her most powerful attack.

"Shockwave Pulsar!!!" 

The darkness promptly obeyed her command, opening up to a bluish white maelstrom that extended its powers to seize the soul devourer with its unyielding cosmic grip. His eyed widened in dread, he wasn't ready for this. But the soul reaper couldn't do anything in the face of merciless rage as the energy tempest produced a light pillar in the center of its spinning antechamber. The pillar collapsed to an orb before exploding with tremendous force, introducing him to new heights of pain. The light died down to reveal the pain-stricken incubus as he slumped weakly against a boulder.

He salivated in a mix of suffering and anger. "ENOUGH!" The incubus declared furiously together with a Firaga blast that engulfed the instructor. She wailed in pain, feeling like her body had started rebelling against her. Quistis knew she couldn't risk launching another limit break attack with its precarious requisite posing a direct danger to her life.

"KIIIII-YAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Hunter's battle cry tore across the blood field. The incubus lord looked up, but it was too late. He felt the dark knight's steel-layered boots slam against his chest, sending him crashing against the granite escarpment at the far side of the cave chamber.

"Pick on my girlfriend, will yah" He growled. Hunter quickly followed with a barrage or airborne kicks that pummeled the soul reaper in rapid-fire fashion. Refusing to let up, he continued his onslaught with lightning quick punches into the destroyer's gut, chest and face. His fists and feet became like a blur in battering the incubus with ferocious force. 

However, the enemy was still far from being conquered. A sudden force wave exploded from his being and sent Hunter flying off from him. But the dark warrior was not to be denied. Quickly picking himself up, Hunter again charged into the incubus, who countered with a series of energy bolts meant to incinerate his adversary. 

Exhibiting his incredible speed, Hunter zigzagged on his path to avoid the force beams, then fired himself in a twisting airborne maneuver that ended with his legs slapping the incubus' head in a tight clamp. Steeled abdominal muscles contracted to bend him up face to face with his adversary. Another series of successive blows from his fists struck the incubus before Hunter stretched himself down on the ground. With the soul reaper's head still held tight between his ankles, the dark knight planted his fingers on the ground before using his lower body to hurl the foe against a pile of boulders. A loud crash reverberated as the incubus slammed hard against the rocks.

His mouth now dripped blackish red blood. Wiping off the dropping symbol of humiliation, the incubus slowly staggered up, throwing a sharp look of hatred against his archenemy. To Hunter's puzzlement, his baleful expression suddenly transformed into one of wicked rejoicing. His evil grin caught the intruder off-guard.

"You wish me to play your game. Fine. But I'm not one to indulge you given this pressing moment." The incubus snorted. "However, I will find it interesting to see how you will fare against your beloved friends."

Hunter's eyes widened upon witnessing a display of white light from the soul devourer's form. In spite of the blinding brightness, he felt an urge against shielding his eyes as he saw three orbs escaping from the radiant eruption.

The three globules momentarily hovered in the air, then slowly settled before him. Crackling resonance shot forth as the spheres gradually took the shape of three human figures. Hunter glared in utter shock upon recognizing the shaped that solidified before him.

"It's been a while, Hunter." The one in the middle echoed. His wiry, well-defined body glistened with what appeared to be evenly spread out sweat. His brown complexion complemented the black hair that flowed freely around his indignant face. The two others walked forward to stand beside the resurrected warrior. Hunter felt like his head was going to explode in shock.

"Liu Kang Blue Mary Kasumi"

"Hey, stud. Fancy meeting you here." The girl with the short blonde hair voiced out teasingly. Hunter blinked his eyes in reacting to her voice as he scrutinized her intently. She sported her familiar apparel composed of a midriff, camouflage pants and a pair of heavy combat boots. He couldn't believe his eyes. This couldn't be the girl he grew up with a long time ago. They all could not be his friends. There were all dead. He was forced to kill them with his own hands.

"I don't know, Mary." The blue-garbed blonde said. "Looks to me like he's still waiting for us to do us like he did before."

"The hell he will, Kasumi." Blue Mary retorted. This time, her voice was reeking with hatred. "We're not gonna let this traitor get away with what he did to us, are we Liu?"

"No, we won't." Liu Kang shot back as he turned to Hunter. "You may be the best among us, 'friend'. But even you cannot hope to win against the three of us."

He didn't even know if he still had it in him to fight his friends. One hundred years ago, these three warriors that belonged to the knight class fated to battle the incubus fell for an elaborate trap that paved the way for their enslavement. It broke Hunter's heart to have to be the one to liberate their souls from the soul reaper's clutches. He killed them, without knowing that in their dying breaths the enemy consumed their helpless spirits. 

His dismal musing was partially broken when he noticed Quistis walking alongside him. She had previously invoked her White Wind power to replenish her lost energy. 

"Quisty, go after the incubus." He said grimly. "I will take care of business on this end."

She looked at him, then at the warriors standing before him. Quistis opted to leave him earlier with full confidence that he will defeat the zombie slaves easily. But she knew she could not do the same thing now. One look at the three resurrected knights told her the Hunter will be needing her help in defeating them.

"No, you need me here, Hunter. I'm not going to leave you this time."

"Quisty, don't argue with me." He muttered back. "Just go."

She had never heard his voice echo this dark tone. Quistis was still afraid for Hunter, but she also knew that nothing in this world would change his mind right now, knowing that he didn't want her to see him fight his friends. Reluctantly, the embattled SeeD left her lover's side to pursue their real enemy.

Hunter braced himself despite his sullen heart as his lost comrades surrounded him. No matter how it grieved him, he had to accept that he must again commit to this embittering task. His soul once again burned with indignation for the soul devourer for having subjected him once more to this harrowing ordeal. 

He vowed on his enemy's death. Come what may, this will end now, once and for all.

**End of Chapter Eighteen**


	20. Chapter 19

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

The lord of the incubus clan halted abruptly upon turning the last corner leading to his people's burial chamber. There was a huge rock blocking the wide entrance, one that he did not recall being there.

But this was not going to stop him. He gestured once, and a force beam blazed from his palm to destroy the obstruction. He didn't wait for the smoke to clear before stepping into the vast anteroom that served as the hated prison cell of his evil horde.

Walking to the center of the immense chamber, his vile nerves twitched in anticipation as his burning eyes traversed the entirety of the enclosed space. He had waited for this day for centuries. He had spent a hundred years planning, scheming, and struggling to endure the scalding pain brought by his incarceration under the merciless chains of despicable earth. He fought for his life and battled for his sanity just to see this day.

No force in this world can stop him now.

Or so he thought

"You're not stopping for anything, are you?" Quistis entered the room after him. The soul reaper turned, only to feel the slap of an unbreakable bullwhip coiling itself around his legs. She tugged hard, tightening the coil and bringing the death-bringer down to the ground.

Though startled, the incubus was able to gather himself for a counterattack of deadly energy bolts, leaving the SeeD no choice but to snap her weapon loose from his feet as her legs straightened to a ninety degree split to avoid the death beams. He continued his barrage, forcing Quistis to roll away and desperately seek shelter from her opponent's hellish onslaught.

"You impudent mortal, you test my patience!"

Tremendous energy spewed out from his eyes, blasting the boulder that Quistis used as a shield into small pieces and hurling her against a pillar of tall stalagmites sticking up from the ground. A loud thud echoed as her body slammed against the solid rock structure. She groaned wildly in pain, feeling every fiber in her being cry out for rest. But there can be no rest as long as the incubus lived. The aches in her body begged her to surrender, but the resolve in her mind refused to take the easy way out, too painfully aware of the stakes at hand.

Steeling her will, the resolute instructor slowly lifted herself up to face the enemy with the white-hot hands. Fighting against despair, her mind struggled to find a way against him. She had no powers and no junctions. She could not risk endangering her life once more for the sake of using her limit breaks. And her partner was nowhere in sight.

"Prepare to die, adversary. I will make it slow and painful in honor of your vain efforts to oppose me."

But a SeeD had never been about powers, partners or junctions. Being one of the foremost, she knew that a SeeD was, above anything else, all about the will to fight. And if there was one thing that she had in abundance, that is the unyielding will to fight in spite of the odds. There was indeed a reason why she was regarded as one of the best.

And there was also a reason why Balamb Garden had a hand-to-hand combat training program.

Expecting a cowering opponent, the incubus was taken aback upon beholding an attacking one. He fired another energy bolt but Quistis was already in the air. And before he realized what was happening, she had already flown over and grabbed him by his armor. Swinging backward, Quistis pushed against his back with her feet, using her downward momentum in pulling with all her might to send him careening against a wall. 

She rolled gracefully while picking up her weapon. Not letting up, the SeeD unleashed a barrage of bullwhip attacks that filled the cavern with deafening supersonic cracks, striking the soul reaper incessantly and confusing him in the process. The Save the Queen hummed ominously while making a wide looping swing before discharging another assault that struck the enemy on the shoulder, violently severing his left arm. The incubus let out an agonized howl.

Quistis allowed a moment of respite. A moment that proved foolhardy. Before she knew it, the soul devourer had released a powerful force wave that threw her back against another embankment. Hissing in rage, the incubus used his sorcery to conjure mystical vines that quickly wrapped around the instructor's arms and legs. She was horrified to realize that he had bound her helplessly.

"The charade ends now, presumptuous foe." He roared with brimming hate. "I could tolerate your resistance no longer."

----------

Another kick landed hard on his jaw together with a solid fist that almost caved his rib cage in. Reeling back in pain, Hunter stared with despairing eyes at the three whom he once called friends. It had been a century and yet he still remembered it like it was yesterday how they ate together, rode together and made their oaths of allegiance to their mission in life together. They were the last generation of a long line of noble knights. And though this fact brought a set of common denominators between them and their predecessors, there was one glaring difference that set them apart from the rest.

They were the best of friends. They treated each other like brothers and sisters.

And he was forced to kill them all. If anything, that should justify the fire of hate that blazed in their eyes. But they should have known what happened. They were enthralled, and therefore gave him no alternative other than to do what he did. Hunter was absolutely sure they understood the contingency that he had to resort to. If anyone of them happened to be in his place, he or she would have done the same thing. Such was the demand of the selfless oath they took. Such was the dedication that was expected of them.

His friends were being controlled by his enemy. They had to be.

But no matter how much he consoled himself with that theory, Hunter still grieved with the thought of snuffing their lives once more. No matter how he knew that the denizen he faced were mere shadows of his long gone friends, they still bore their forms, the forms he had learned to cherish. He knew they were mere doppelgangers, but it still didn't make his task any less daunting nor heartbreaking.

"Taking it easy on us, are you?" Blue Mary snapped as she lunged with a staggering backhand. Hunter spun around, rolling with the impact to lessen the effect of the blow. But it still hurt like hell. Blue Mary had always packed a wallop that easily shamed a horse's kick. He planted his shaking feet on the ground while wiping blood off his mouth.

"Do whatever you want," Hunter spoke out grimly, "but I'm not fighting you."

"Aww, you're breaking my heart!" Kasumi shot back. "Oh wait a minute, you already did. Plus my neck and my bones and my head" She continued while pummeling her former colleague with powerful knee and elbow strikes. One particularly strong blow landed on the dark knight's back, making him choke out more blood.

"That's enough!" Liu Kang intervened. "You've had your share of his blood. Now leave Hunter to me."

Hunter looked up and saw the anger blazing in his former comrade's once compassionate eyes, pushing the sadness he felt to surpass the pain coursing through his battered body. Firming his resolve, the embattled warrior remained on his knees. But it only furthered Liu Kang's anger.

"Understand this, Hunter." He exclaimed while clutching the dark knight by the neck. "If you don't fight me, I will kill you. And that will leave your precious ally defenseless against our master. Certainly you would never risk to have her perish, would you?"

Hunter cussed at himself. Liu Kang was right. He had no choice but to fight and fall prey to the trap that at one time almost pushed him to take his own life in despair and guilt.

The resurrected gladiators smiled in evil delight when he stood up with the Twin Jutte in his hands. Fear gripped the intruder's heart, but it was not the fear for his own life. He was foremost among their ranks, the firstborn among his generation of knights. He taught them everything they knew. But he didn't teach them everything he knew. The battle may not turn out as one-sided but Hunter was confident that he would still prevail.

The die had been cast. He will fight them, kill them again, and help the SeeD in conquering the soul devourer. After that, he will agonize in the guilt of a crime twice committed. After that, he will no longer suffer his life. He could never and would never forgive himself after this.

----------

She stared with terrified eyes at the baneful form of the devourer of spirits as he slowly strutted closer to her. Quistis started to panic, she had never been in a situation this precarious before. She tried tugging at the conjured vines chaining her against the wall, but it was too tough for her. In the midst of mortal fear, she started to doubt if she did the right thing of pushing her friends away from the battle. Now that there was no one else to save her, she couldn't help questioning her decisions further. If she was truly the chosen one, how did she end up in a predicament like this? The fates dictated that she would prevail at the cost of her own life. Was the fates wrong? Or was she the one who was mistaken?

The incubus opened his mouth, from where the disgustingly dreadful figure of his tongue dripping in steaming saliva began to come out. The instructor closed her eyes as the slimy, snake-like appendage touched the smooth contours of her face and neck, as if tasting her. She gritted her teeth in fright when its twin tips transformed into a pair of razor-sharp blades that started to run down under her chin. She could feel the sheerness of the flicking tongue as it threatened to break her skin open.

A ripping sound suddenly echoed when the knife-edges tore the front of her battlesuit open to expose the bare skin underneath. The incubus moaned with desire. He may not be human, but over the centuries he had developed a taste for carnality that enabled him to enjoy sensual pursuits. In his eyes, he had never seen a human specimen as perfect and desirable as the one before him. Unwittingly, the soul reaper felt a tinge of regret as his moist tongue traversed across the instructor's stomach, running a straight path upward until it reached the sunken area between her breasts. Quistis could only groan in a mix of revulsion and horror while feeling him violate her body.

A sudden trembling movement shook the incubus. His desire-awash face abruptly assumed a look of alarm when the quivering underneath his feet intensified. Recognizing a threat, he hissed in his own dread while turning his attention elsewhere. He couldn't believe what he had perceived. Not here. Not now!

A fist made of earth suddenly erupted from the ground and sent the soul devourer flying toward the towering cavern ceiling. He ricocheted violently against a wall before crashing headfirst into the rocky ground. Stunned, the death-bringer tried to recover from the sudden attack, and was met by the resonance of a dreadfully familiar voice.

"WE KNEW YOU WERE COMING, VILE MURDERER. YOU DIDN'T THINK WE'D LEAVE THE RESTING PLACE OF YOUR PEOPLE UNATTENDED, DID YOU?"

His disbelieving eyes stared in terror at the wolf-like creature that materialized from thin air. Snarling with justified rage, the creature that bore the title Pack Commander of the Warrior Hounds appeared with another mystical presence that boasted a massively built body and a solitary eye residing on his forehead. Recovering from her ordeal, Quistis recognized the aura surrounding the two newcomers and subsequently remembered Hunter's tale about the missing earth Guardians.

"Fenrir and Vulcan" She muttered. "They've been guarding this place all this time?"

The air thundered with earth-shaking power as Fenrir staged his attack, charging headlong toward the soul devourer with the fury of a thousand avenging souls. His strong jaws caught the incubus by his remaining arm before hurling him aloft. As the incubus bounced against the ceiling, Vulcan swung his massive sledgehammer on the ground to create a fissure that subsequently erupted with fiery brimstone, bathing the death-bringer with burning pain born of the earth's anger. The soul devourer staggered back, his eyes and mouth welling with smoldering fluid of hate and evil.

The two Guardian Forces stood by as their enemy struggled to his feet. Wanting to end the centuries old war once and for all, they commenced another wave of attack with intent for finality. They were nevertheless caught by surprise when the incubus channeled all his powers in one massive explosion that repelled them viciously. Ear-splitting surges of energy spewed forth from the soul reaper's eyes, relentlessly bombarding the two Guardians who had no recourse but to step back. It had been a long time since they last faced him in battle, but they still remembered the raw power he wielded that took the entire army of earth warriors to subdue. As the crazed incubus lashed out with all his might, Fenrir and Vulcan realized they had to find another way to combat his threat. 

Another explosion hurled them against the embankment where the instructor was bound. The one-eyed Guardian lifted his head from underneath the debris and noticed Quistis gazing intently at him. He stared back at her, and recognized the warrior spoken of in prophecies.

"You are the chosen one" Vulcan bellowed. Quistis nodded as much as her bonds allowed her.

"Yes, I am the chosen one." She replied firmly. "Help me. Junction yourselves to me!"

The Guardian pair stared at each other briefly, deliberating whether to break protocols even in this moment of dire need. But knowing that they had finally faced the chosen one resolved all conflict without much contest. They then disappeared as their spirit selves fused with that of the instructor's.

Quistis finally let out a relieved smile upon feeling the familiar infusion of junction power. Channeling all her Ultima spells to her physical strength, she bellowed a frantic roar as her arms and legs pulled desperately, breaking her bonds in the process. 

"METEOR!!!" She hollered, and the mystical heavens obeyed with a storm of cosmic rocks that battered the incubus.

"ULTIMA!!!" A sphere of combined elementals blazed upon him, punishing him with infernal wrath.

"FLARE! HOLY! TORNADO! QUAKE!!!"

The flurry of destructive magic unrelentingly lashed against the stunned incubus. With the last Quake spell that struck, he collapsed on his knees in agony, his one remaining arm raised in an apparent gesture of surrender. But Quistis won't be fooled this time. She was alternating between attack and Scan spells to analyze the damage wreaked by her assault. The instructor couldn't help wincing in frustration. For every attack she made, the soul reaper's mysterious healing power regenerated his injuries. No wonder he was branded as unkillable. She needed a different strategy.

A moment of thought on Quistis' part afforded the incubus a split-second to react. Roaring with pure rage, he unleashed another energy blast that brutally connected on the instructor. She recoiled back, greatly stunned by the assault. Realizing that this battle was far from being won, Quistis had no choice but to press on without any clear tactical plan. She continued exchanging blows with the incubus and, whenever the chance arose, attacked with her potent Blue Magic skills. But even the devastating Shockwave Pulsar failed to prevent the soul devourer from healing his injuries.

The instructor had begun to grow tired. Coupled with her dwindling reserves of attack magic, Quistis recognized the seriousness of her predicament. She wished for Hunter to run to her side but also knew he's got his hands full at the moment. Frustration inadvertently started to get the better of the SeeD as she indiscriminately poured out her remaining assault spells to the enemy. The instructor knew that she was becoming reckless, but her exhaustion prevented her from gathering her wits for an organized method of attack.

She unleashed another Flare spell, unaware that the soul reaper had managed to cast a layer of Reflect magic around him. Quistis wailed in pain when the mighty non-elemental attack bounced back at her.

"AAAAHHH!!!" Her knees folded, giving in to the exhaustion besetting her. Taking advantage of the situation, the soul reaper pummeled her with another energy blast. The SeeD was thrown back by the violent assault, her body dragged along the ground by the force of the blast. Quistis folded up in torment after her head hit a boulder.

The angry expression on his face would have cowed even the mighty Weapons of legends. Limping weakly toward the fallen instructor, the incubus fixed his piercing gaze at her. Quistis saw his looming form, but she was too weak to even conjure a White Wind summon. As he hovered on top of her, she let out a moan of painful helplessness. Sizzling hands slapped a tight grip behind her neck, drawing her near the enemy's ghastly face. She tried to push off but her battered hands refused to obey her command. Her mind grieved with the horrific cognizance that she had failed miserably.

"Your death will be the slowest of all my prey." He snarled, the revolting scent of unadulterated hatred lacing his indignant words. "You will feel the horror and the pain of your soul being torn away from your body. You will feel your shell crumple to an empty husk as I siphon off your life energies. You will die with your eyes wide open. And I will rejoice in the horror that I will paint on your face."

The aroma of death prevailed anew when the incubus drew his mouth near the instructor's. It hadn't even touched her lips yet but Quistis had already begun to feel her life essence being sucked out from her. Her eyes widened in horror and her body froze in fear as she sensed her spirit draining away. 

"No!"

The incubus greedily sucked from the SeeD, fully intending to empty her of her life-giving essence. Her eyes started to rapidly blink as darkness began to engulf her vision. Quistis tried to gasp, but her breath seemed to leave as soon as she drew it. Her fingers clawed desperately on the ground in overwhelming horror. She wanted to scream, but her voice had likewise abandoned her.

It was then that the soul reaper's eyes widened, as if in shock. Instead of the replenishment that he expected, he subsequently sensed a brutal sensation that stabbed into his being like a smoldering knife. All of the sudden, the incubus found himself desperately struggling to push himself away from the instructor, unable to bear the burning bitterness that began to infuse into his immortal cells. With a mighty effort, the soul reaper frantically pried himself away from the instructor.

It took a while before the convulsions besieging the SeeD's body came to a halt. Quistis coughed furiously, fighting to regain the breath that she almost lost. She then noticed the incubus as he doubled up on the ground, appearing to be in great pain. Puzzled by this turn of event, she tried to pull herself away just as the enemy groped to gather every iota of strength he could muster.

----------

He was faster that Hunter remembered. Every punch and every kick whined loudly and left a trail of afterimage as a manifest to its deadly quickness. Each parry and each block sent a staggering jolt in his entire body. Never has he seen Liu Kang fight as ferociously. He was out for blood. He was fighting for keeps. 

The dark knight had opted to stay on the defensive in hopes that his former colleagues would somehow regain control of their minds. But the more he avoided the attacks, the more his attacker grew vicious. Barely avoiding a hand-knife lunge, Hunter failed to see an incoming reverse kick. It planted deep into his stomach and drove most of the air from his lungs. Agonized, wheezing sounds emanated from the dark warrior's mouth as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Yeah, that's it!" Liu Kang continued to press. "The more you hesitate, the more your ally draws to her end."

A fit of rage shot up to his head as he remembered Quistis. Though Hunter knew that he was only being goaded to go on the offensive, he was also aware of the truth in Liu Kang's spiteful words. Quistis needed him, and he had to end this quickly. With a quick pivot, Hunter caught a straight punch with his right hand. He then pulled Liu Kang's arm past him before planting a left elbow to his midsection followed by a right backhand to his face. The brown-skinned combatant reeled back from the impact.

Liu Kang dabbed a finger on his bloodied lips, then licked the blood off his finger. "Alright, now you're ready to dance."

The ensuing scene was like one taken from a first rate martial arts movie. Hunter and Liu Kang exchanged blows and parried each other's attacks relentlessly. Each blocked offensive was swiftly followed by another speeding attack as their arms, hands and legs collided resoundingly in their efforts to connect one solid blow that may decide the outcome of the battle. Hunter lashed out with a sweeping punch that was deftly dodged by Liu Kang, who then used his opponent's momentum to push him aside. Back against the enemy, the dark knight instinctively stuck his leg out, catching Liu by surprise when he tried to take advantage of the situation. He doubled up in pain after his solar plexus caught the business end of Hunter's foot. Without even turning around, Hunter followed up with a twisting midair kick that struck Liu Kang on the face, sending him spinning uncontrollably in the air before landing on his back with a loud thud.

The embattled foe looked up to his associates. Blue Mary and Kasumi understood and subsequently launched themselves in the air. Hunter ducked to evade the onrush, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid the follow up as the two ladies simultaneously landed crushing kicks on his chest. Hunter was again forced on the defensive, frantically using his arms and legs to block their relentless attacks that didn't give him enough room to regroup. Kasumi got lucky with a clawing slash that caught him by the chest, ripping his black jumpsuit open. The lady warrior smiled as she looked at the nail marks left on Hunter's chest.

"You're slipping, dearie." She echoed spitefully. "Or is that a sad trade-off of old age, hmm?"

Kasumi was right, he thought. He wasn't fighting them to full capacity, either because he got used to battling far inferior adversaries since his awakening or the cryo-sleep process had adversely affected his efficiency. There was a time when he could toy with the entire knight class and fight them all at the same time without even breaking a sweat.

At least his instincts were as sharp as ever. The same instincts that brought his hand to his back in catching Liu Kang's sneak attack. Letting loose a jarring kick of his own, Hunter didn't see Blue Mary charging with a closed fist. The dreaded power punch struck him squarely at the side of his rib cage and sent him rolling over the filthy ground. This time, the dark knight couldn't avoid hollering in pain. He felt at least three ribs collapse due to that blow.

"Payback time, stud." Blue Mary exclaimed, which she followed with another hard right into Hunter's jaw. Dazed by the punishment he received, the overwhelmed dark knight squinted at his former charges as they gathered around him with the intent to land the deathblow.

"ARRGGHHH!!!" The troika simultaneously winced as a bluish-white power surge suddenly engulfed them. They shivered violently as the bright light seemed to distort the very fabric of their beings. A perplexed Hunter just looked on as his lost friends started to disintegrate. 

He was confused at first, but the dark knight slowly realized what was happening. The incubus was recalling them. Whatever was happening with the enemy must be grave enough for him to take back the souls he released. He must be getting desperate. What could the instructor have possibly done to him?

"Quistis!" He remembered that the SeeD was fighting the incubus all by herself. Hunter ignored the pain as he struggled to his feet, hoping that he wasn't too late.

----------

Eerie, gurgling sounds emanated from the incubus as he appeared to suffer from some unknown contagion. Even the warrior souls that he recalled weren't enough to give him back the strength that he lost when he tried to ingest the instructor's spirit. In his agony, his tortured eyes trained unbelievingly toward Quistis, who was none the less puzzled by the surprising turn of events.

"This cannot be!" His burbling voice gushed out torturously. "Why did I not see it?"

She looked at the death-bringer, confused at his sudden transformation. Only a few moments ago, she was fighting for her life against an enemy who wielded power enough to conquer a whole army. Even though she was a SeeD and therefore a rough equivalent of an entire battalion of soldiers, her capabilities still didn't lend much confidence when matched against one who could have fought Ultimecia to a standoff. 

Now he was groveling like a defenseless drug addict. Something deadly had assaulted him, and she has got to know what it was. This might just be the break she had been waiting for.

"I could not believe it No one survives my all-consuming power to siphon human spirits. No one" The incubus labored in between gasps for breath. "You there has to be some measure of deceit in your soul. Corruption, lies, deception"

Enlightenment began to flood the instructor's mind. There could be only one explanation for the soul devourer's sudden vulnerability. And that explanation was inside her.

"Look yourself in the mirror. Are you not fearless, mighty and skillful? You wield almost unparalleled intelligence and cunning, refinement and finesse. And your beauty surpasses that of anyone's I have ever seen. There is little doubt that you are the most beautiful woman on the face of this planet You brandish the grace of an empress, the renown of a legend and the power of a goddess 

"You are a Queen! Do you not dwell in any of these? Is your soul not CORRUPTED with even a single measure of vainglory?!?"

It was obvious from his efforts that the soul devourer was enticing Quistis to the tempting call of self-exaltation. For only through this could he ever hope to conquer her. It now became clear to the astute SeeD that though her enemy devoured souls, he could only devour souls that are deluded with self-deception and struggling vanity. Souls such as those belonging to Squall, who sought to fill in responsibilities ahead of his age; Seifer, who still strove to be larger than his life would otherwise permit; Rinoa, vehemently clawing to live up to expectations; Zell, with his continued pursuit to emulate his grandfather; Irvine, still struggling to find peace with himself; and Selphie, who refused to make peace with her own sorrows

With their varied but similar vanities and insecurities, they would have easily fallen prey to the incubus whose powers specifically sought the colors and shades of self-deception in man's spirit. They would surely have perished had they been here to do battle with him.

And Quistis had repeatedly endeavored to free herself from vain deceit and false glorification no matter how much they were within her reach. Her stubborn pursuit to cleanse her soul from the call of arrogant and lofty praise was the very thing that saved her life.

_The Queen is dead._

"No I do not dwell in any of these. Maybe I did, once. But I'm over with that useless struggle." She echoed both proudly and humbly. "If there is one area that I lord over, one sovereignty where I am queen... that is myself. I am the master of my own identity... the queen of my own soul."

She now knew. She now wielded the weapon that can vanquish the enemy. A soul bereft of pretension, corruption and lies is POISON to the soul devourer. 

_Long live Quistis Trepe!_

And it was now time to end this terrible war. Quistis mustered all her might in hurling the flexible Save the Queen toward the incubus. It wrapped itself tightly around the enemy's neck, eliciting a frightened snarl from him.

"NO!"

She pulled hard to draw his face before her. And before the soul reaper could even react, the resolute instructor pressed her mouth tightly against his.

**End of Chapter Nineteen**


	21. Chapter 20

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Twenty**

Harrowing resonance echoed in her mind, the sound of painful tearing and tempestuous unraveling. But despite the mind-rending torment, Quistis held on, persistently tugging at the incubus as they both quivered under the waves of hellish suffering. A loud shriek tore through the din of surging energy as the soul devourer fought for dear life. 

But she will not be denied. She must not be denied. The fates decreed for the hundred years carnage to end today. Whether the prophecy was fulfilled or not was immaterial. The threat of the merciless predator of souls must not go further beyond this point.

She felt the spiteful grip of dying fingers dig into her flesh. She sensed the ultimate fear of one who would soon know the dark maws of extinction. Quistis perceived the terror-stricken cries of the incubus, wincing and flailing while feeling the white poison of her pristine essence filling the hateful cells and fibers that cried out for release. The soul devourer continued to struggle desperately as the chosen one's unadulterated spirit penetrated the deepest crevices of his being and slowly destroyed him from the inside. He carried forth helplessly with the muffled voices that begged for mercy as his veins were poisoned by her spirit's toxic radiance. 

Quistis pushed on with all her might in continuing to feed her soul to the incubus. She was determined to end it now, no matter what price she had to pay. It didn't matter whether she felt her body being overwhelmed by the immense torment as her spirit unraveled painfully. She didn't care whether she felt her heart, mind and flesh collapsing brutally as they were slowly abandoned by her life-giving essence. She took no heed despite the ominous sensation of cold and darkness that started to besiege her entire being as her physical body was drained of life. 

Slowly but surely, the instructor felt her strength leaving her arms and legs. Gradually, she sensed her heart starting to slow down and her blood vessels folding in. Her body became overwhelmed with the merciless pulses of sharp and blunt ache as her muscles deteriorated and internal organs began to shut down. She wanted to scream out the torment, wail in the midst of lethal agony, but she didn't dare release her captive. Streams of hot tears began pouring from her eyes as proof of the unbearable suffering that was slowly killing her. Her hands clenched and burrowed into the soul devourer's flesh, squeezing blackened blood from it. Her vision started to sink in a lake of total darkness. 

"Must hurry must hurry!" Hunter repeatedly echoed in his mind as he struggled to reach the cavern opening from where sparks of energy where violently flying off. Braving the frightful conflagration, he shielded his eyes from the blinding light, his other hand extended forward like a guide for a blind man's quest.

In the midst of the bright light, the dark warrior saw a silhouette of two figures fused with each other. He managed to adjust his vision to the radiance, only to be taken by alarm when he recognized the instructor's body quivering with that of the soul reaper's. Confused at first, Hunter subsequently realized what she was trying to do by how she pulled the enemy against her and how her mouth bit into his. He didn't know why, but he didn't have to. He knew that she was surrendering her soul to the incubus for some reason. There was absolutely no way Quistis can survive this.

He attempted to approach, but the crackling energy singed his arms, driving him back. Hunter tried to holler out in an effort to get her attention but Quistis was too far gone into the caliginous abyss. Both she and the incubus convulsed rapidly and violently, both neared the brink of death as one emptied her spirit and the other burned up from inside his. 

In the deepening darkness, Quistis struggled to echo a final word. But as with the soul devourer, it was too late for her as the last vestiges of her lifeforce was torn away. The spectacular eruption of light disappeared with a loud hiss and a faint thud as the SeeD and the death-bringer collapsed on the ground.

Deafening silence permeated the suddenly dark chamber, leaving nothing in its wake but the echoing heaves of breath of a stupefied dark knight staring blankly at the two lifeless bodies before him. He was still awash with the shock of the moment, still reeling from the horrendous vision of his beloved giving her life away to land the ultimate blow on the devourer of spirits. Hunter gazed at the quiet form of Quistis, blinking his eyes repeatedly as if he was unable to believe what had just transpired.

He braved a forward step, a step that taxed his strength immensely. The short trek towards the fallen warrior felt like an eternity of biting disbelief. He knelt down beside her, one hand daring to touch her unmoving arms. It was cold as ice and totally limp, with no semblance of life whatsoever. Slowly, Hunter sank to a heart-rending recognition of the events that unfolded before him: a culmination of the shadow war that raged for hundreds of years

And the harrowing fulfillment of a cruel prophecy.

He knew better than to not expect this moment. From the first time he saw the embodiment of destiny in her form, Hunter knew that this event was forthcoming. He thought he was prepared for this. In spite of the quagmire he introduced by allowing himself to fall in love with her, he believed that his heart was fortified enough to face the possibility that he would still lose her in the end. 

He could never have been any more mistaken than he was now. It was too immense and too unbelievable. His throat bellowed a horrible roar of pain and anguish as he held her lifeless body close to him. 

Many moments went by that saw the intruder continue to weep while he held on to the deceased instructor. He didn't know how much time had elapsed but he also didn't care. All he knew was this moment of pain, embracing the body of the woman he loved while grieving in the truth that he will never again feel her embracing back. 

Hunter was so immersed in anguish that he failed to notice the flicker of light that came out from the dead incubus' body. The radiance that started with a tiny spark began to grow into a thin sliver that bridged the gap between the ground and the towering ceiling of the vast cave. The ray of light grew even larger, until it became like a solid pillar with tiny specks of brilliance hovering gracefully around it.

The specks then began to expand with resonant hissing sounds that finally caught Hunter's attention. He looked up and saw the magnificent orbs of light that seemed to be dancing in joy. Despite his sorrow, the dark knight subsequently discerned the truth behind the dancing lights, which were in fact the souls that fell prey to the evil soul devourer. In spite of his sadness, he felt a sense of revelry upon realizing that with the ultimate destruction of the soul reaper, the spirits that he consumed had been liberated, and were now free to journey to their final destinations. The awe-struck warrior watched the thousands of light orbs escaping from the bright pillar, rocketing upward like a breathtaking storm of shooting stars before ultimately disappearing into the higher plane.

Hunter was then besieged with wonderment when a number of the light orbs suddenly halted in midair before coming back down, stopping right in front of him. But his confusion was momentary, as his mind was given an understanding of these particular spheres' purpose. He wasn't even surprised when they slowly transformed and took the shape of five warriors that he knew only too well. Hunter smiled as the shapes completed their transformation.

_"Brother"_

"Kilik Cammy"

_"We're so sorry about before"_ Another voice echoed. _"We couldn't resist the power of our enemy, we couldn't prevent him from controlling us."_

_"Yeah. Hope we didn't beat you too much, stud."_

"Liu Kasumi Mary" He gushed. "I I don't know what to say."

_"Hey bro, don't worry about it." _ The supposedly youthful Kilik echoed. _"We all know what you did and why you were forced to do that. If you think we're mad at you because of that, you got another thing coming."_

_"Kilik speaks true, brother." _ Liu Kang followed. _"The fact is, we were already dead the moment the incubus enchanted our spirits. And you did the right thing. It was just unfortunate that he captured us before we could escape to the higher plane. He enslaved us and fed on us for the hundred years that he was incarcerated."_

_"But thanks to you, dear, we're now free to join the others."_

"Others?" Hunter wondered. "You mean"

_"Yeah, that's right." _ Cammy continued. _"Our friends were able to escape into the higher plane. Fokker, Jenny, Setsuna, Lu Xun They all made it there, they all slipped through our enemy's grasp. And now we'll finally be able to join them."_

_"And we have you to thank for that, stud." _ Blue Mary added. _"You and your partner. We're finally free because of you two."_

_His partner._ Were they even aware of how inconsequential that word sounded when pitted against her real worth to him? Hunter's face abruptly became downcast when his heart began to hurt once more. He looked down at Quistis' lifeless form and thought deeply. Seeing the final liberation of his friends after a hundred years of hellish bondage, Hunter thought his joy would be complete had Quistis only survived. He silently uttered a cursing word on the innate cruelty of life. 

_"Don't worry yourself to death, big bro." _ Kasumi echoed while landing an ethereal kiss on his forehead. _"She's right behind us."_

"She's what?"

But instead of replying, the warrior with the comely face simply waved back at him, as did the rest of his oath brethren. Hunter knew then that they were saying goodbye. He felt a tinge of sadness while acknowledging their departure.

_"Until we meet again, brother."_

"Yes, until we meet again" He softly retorted at the spirits that once again assumed the forms of brilliant white spheres, which then sped upward before vanishing from his sight. As they did, the last traces of the bright light disappeared, leaving the intruder once more in partial darkness. He let out a sigh while training his attention at the dead incubus. Nothing was left of him but a mound of fine ash.

His hopeful eyes then went back to the gentle visage of his beloved. He didn't know what Kasumi meant but for some reason, it gave him new hope that everything will turn out fine. Hunter removed his gloves and ran his hand along her soft hair. His fingers then caressed her gentle face.

Hunter's heart leaped. Her face felt warm to his touch.

"Quisty?"

"Unhhh" She moaned faintly. Her voice was still weak but it didn't prevent a relieved smile from being painted on Hunter's face. Grasping her hand, he brought it up to his lips and tenderly kissed it before pressing it against his face. It took some time but Quistis finally managed to open her eyes. Though gripped with exhaustion, a fond smile crossed her lips upon gazing at his face.

"I can't stay away. I just can't"

The next moments transpired in silence as the intruder and the instructor held each other tight.

----------

The sun had just made a breakthrough over the horizon when the two warriors emerged from the cave. They were both exhausted, both aching from the inside and out after that final chapter in a war that spanned centuries. But the hurt didn't prevent the two from admiring the coming of a brand new day. Quistis and Hunter gazed at the morning rays with wispy eyes, both sighing in relief while thanking the deities for seeing them through.

She groped to her side, holding his hands tight. Quistis looked at Hunter as his eyes continued to wander along the eastern horizon. She watched him heave a deep breath, observed the look on his face that seemed to be dwelling on some profound thoughts that only he could know.

Hunter was indeed contemplating on the past. For him, this was the end of everything that he lived and trained for. The war was over, and his destiny had been punctuated with success. 

For Quistis, this was merely the beginning of the rest of her life. She had previously doubted the opportunity of actually seeing this hour, a doubt that almost bore fruit with her apparent demise when she gave up her soul to destroy the soul devourer. A moment of darkness and coldness that stabbed her with a whole life's worth of loneliness ultimately made up her mind. As she gazed at her dark knight, she resolved to give up everything to be with him.

"I don't know about you, Hunter. But I am dead tired, starving, and could certainly use a shower right about now." Quistis stated. "So your place or mine?"

He didn't answer, and instead turned his back toward her. The dark knight's gesture gave the SeeD a haunting sense of perplexity that she nevertheless opted to ignore. Frigid air bit into her skin when she took off the damaged upper portion of her battlesuit, replacing it with the spare suit she pulled out from her utility pack. 

"Quisty There's uh There's something that you ought to know." Hunter broke out. "There's something that I need to tell you about myself."

There was an ominous tone in the way he stated those words. Quistis felt it immediately, making her wonder what else about him she needed to know. But the concern about hearing his revelation was overshadowed by the anxiety of giving her own. She bit her lips after recalling a conflict that had been punishing her during the last two months. Hunter wasn't the only one who needed to divulge a truth.

"So is this the part when we reveal our innermost, darkest secrets?" She interjected. "Alright, let me go first." 

The intruder looked at his beloved instructor to allow her to continue. But the thought of subjecting her to possible shame changed his mind when he saw the look of timid embarrassment on her face.

"You see, I I'm"

"I know." Hunter interrupted. "I know all about it. Even before we got together, I already know."

"Y-You do?" Quistis stuttered, her face turning red with shame, almost forgetting that he had already run an extensive background check on her even before they first met. She subsequently felt a terrible discomfort, rendering her unable to look straight into his eyes. 

"Why did you" She labored heavily. " Why did you still?"

"Quisty, I don't care. Whatever mistakes you did in the past don't matter to me. All I care about is you us"

She couldn't believe her ears, and didn't know what to think after hearing his words. But the look on his face inadvertently gave her an understanding of the extent of his affection for her. Quistis was rendered unable to express the happiness that she subsequently felt. Here she was, face to face with a man who loved her so much that he was willing to overlook the fruit of a past mistake that she had committed. A man who loved her with such intensity as to accept her in spite of everything. All her life, she had been longing for such a love and now it was here, staring her in the face. The flood of joy totally overwhelmed her that she couldn't help but cry. 

Quistis expended a few moments of silence, drying her tears with her hands before coming back with a response. "Okay, your turn." In her mind, she didn't care whatever it was that Hunter had to reveal. He loved her enough to accept her, past mistakes and all. And she just couldn't do anything less for him. 

Hunter's next words came like an explosion that brutally assaulted her senses.

"I I can't marry you."

**To Be Concluded**


	22. Chapter 21

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**Chapter Twenty-One**

**(Conclusion)**

"What?"

Her question was more a result of surprise than an actual quest for an answer. Quistis felt hollow after hearing Hunter's shaky statement, totally unsure whether to actually believe him or simply dismiss his words as some sick joke.

"I don't understand, Hunter. Would you mind explaining what you said?" This time, she was asking a question that wanted an answer. After all the things that they've been through and the steadfast manner in which he professed to her his feelings, she just couldn't possibly believe that his declaration carried any semblance of truth. Hunter has got to be kidding, she insisted to herself. Yet why was she feeling anxious?

Again, the dark knight didn't answer, further fueling her speculation that there was indeed something grievous behind it all. Her unsteady voice started to echo the heavy anxiety besetting her.

"Dammit, Hunter. Will you stop with this mysterious guy routine and just answer my question." 

He still remained speechless, further agitating the already distressed instructor. In spite of the tempest building inside her, Quistis thought it better to maintain her composure.

"Look, I understand if you're bothered by something that you think is too serious for me to deal with. I know exactly how you feel. But" She briefly trailed off, landing a tender hand on his arms. " I know that whatever it is or however bleak it may be, we can easily overcome it. Right? As long as we're together, there's no obstacle that we can't prevail over right?"

"I don't know, Quisty." Hunter finally voiced out. "I don't think so. Not this time. Not not this one"

"Well we certainly couldn't hope to solve this problem if you're going to insist on keeping it to yourself. Come on I'm here for you. You can tell me whatever it is and you know you don't have anything to worry about." She echoed gently. Her voice was warm and soothing, in its softness firmly determined to quell whatever trouble was laying siege on his mind. 

"No!" He blurted out, startling her with the harshness in his voice. "It is not for you to tell what I should and should not worry about."

"What is wrong with you?!?" She ultimately exclaimed with sheer frustration. And again, Hunter fell to his appalling silence. 

"Fine." Quistis snapped out, her voice now buckling from the emotional stress. "I don't know how many times I need to tell you that I'm here for you and you don't have to worry about anything with me. But you're just too damn stubborn If I didn't know better I'd think you're actually pushing me away. And I've been pushed away a lot more times than I'd care to remember. If you're going to continue being a jerk like that I can't possibly do anything about us anymore."

Her words may have sounded drastic and impetuous. But there was only so much patience that even a person of her fortitude could extend. Once upon a time, she thought she had evolved into the most enduring woman in the world after having to put up with a certain colleague's coldness and indifference. Years of unwanted practice galvanized her strength of character to enable her to withstand any heartless quip or uncaring brush off to go talk to a wall. But the dark knight's ominous silence laid all her hard-earned perseverance to waste.

"You know all you have to do is tell me that you really don't love me and don't want to have anything to do with me. At least that would have been a little more considerate." She echoed dejectedly. "Keeping your mouth shut like this is killing me"

Hunter abruptly turned to Quistis, his mind playing with an idea that he otherwise would never even dream of conceiving. But him not really loving her? The thought was so absurd it almost made him laugh in the sound of its irony. That was so far from the truth. The distance between the farthest limits of east and west couldn't begin to describe its remoteness from the truth. Nothing could be as far away from the truth than that ludicrous idea. He loved her so much that it hurt to even imagine a life without her.

But Hunter knew he had to be open to the truth. Given the grim circumstances, the prospect of a life without Quistis wasn't too far away. Looking at her sullen appearance, his heart was rent asunder with the thought of actually making her believe that he didn't love her. On the other hand, it would make things a lot easier for him. Nothing drives a girl away quicker than the callous expression of nonexistent love.

It would be much easier if he could only repel the call of his conscience. But no matter how grievous his predicament seemed for him, he still owed her the truth. Quistis deserved nothing short of the entire truth. Hunter held his breath as he allowed the compulsion to overcome him.

"I don't want to make a widow out of you."

Another battery rang out in her mind. She thought nothing could be worse than the implication of his callousness. She was gravely mistaken.

"You're kidding, right?" Quistis uttered incredulously. "Tell me you're just kidding."

"I'm not." Hunter sullenly replied. "Quisty I'm dying."

"A-Are you sure?" She stuttered back, an eerie touch of cold fear beginning to creep through her being. "Hunter, if you're sick, we must find a doctor who can help you. There's gotta be someone out there who can treat your condi"

"Neuroblastoma." He cut in before turning away.

Dismal chill began to traverse up and down her spine. All of the sudden, Quistis wished she didn't have to grow closer to Dr. Kadowaki than she had to. Throughout their informal congregations, the good doctor had clued her in to some random medical information that she thought would come in handy in her job. And she was only too aware of the said disease's cold efficiency. Neuroblastoma a strange tissue disorder born of a mutation of still unknown origins. The extremely rare condition that resembled cancer normally affects children and teenagers. But it was also theorized that the disease had the potential to afflict subjects of a number of scientific experiments that involved tissue reprocessing.

"I knew there were risks in my decision to go after the incubus. I embraced those risks willingly because I had nothing else in mind but its ultimate destruction."

Like the undocumented and generally crude method of cryo-sleep application rumored to have been performed one hundred years ago.

"I didn't count on meeting you. If I had known I don't know. Fates sure has a funny way of mucking with man's destiny."

In the back of her mind, Quistis was grimly enlightened with the reason behind Hunter's suddenly falling unconscious during the battle with Seifer. That was a clear symptom of the deadly disease, a debilitating effect of the cancer-like malignancy slowly eating away into whatever muscle, bone or organ that surrounded it. The dumbfounded instructor was rendered speechless, deathly aware of the fact that there was no known cure for Neuroblastoma.

"Now, tell me again how we're gonna overcome this problem together. Tell me again that you're going to be there for me." Hunter's voice was low in tone and almost reproachful. "Andrea hurt me when she left, saying that didn't want to be there when when it finally happens. I promised then that I am never again getting involved with anyone on an emotional level. It it just happened that you tore down the walls I had erected around myself. You broke through my shield and I was too helpless to do something about it."

She looked up to him longingly, but didn't dare to heed her urge to touch. Suddenly, Quistis felt that even a slight dab would be excruciating for her.

"So I'm not taking any chances, Quisty. If you're going to leave me, you might as well do it now, before" He stopped, too melancholic to continue.

"How long?" Her voice echoed faintly. She didn't know why, but she felt she just had to ask. Hunter breathed heavily before replying.

"I don't know. Maybe a year, maybe ten years, maybe next week For all we know, the next time I lose consciousness will be the last."

"Oh God" She finally broke down, feeling a million tiny shards of pain piercing her delicate heart. Quistis became filled with rebellious disbelief, with the sharp echoes of spiteful questions echoing in her mind, incessantly demanding answers to explain the cruelty the fates bestowed on her. For most people, an opportunity to find true love comes only once in a lifetime. She thought her time had come. But now she was staring at the truth that she could not hold on to it for long.

"So what's it going to be?"

A sharp bout of mixed grief and embarrassment tore through her chest. She knew that she loved him, almost without reservation. But the thought of losing her dark knight hung like the blade of Damocles over her heart. Quistis honestly didn't know if she could endure seeing him breathe his last. The thought was too painful and she wasn't sure whether she could accept that burden or not. All of the sudden, the SeeD understood the sentiment of the one who came before her.

Hunter stared at her intently. Quistis found it impossible to meet his gaze, consequently turning her head away in shameful anguish. 

"I didn't think so" He muttered heavily.

Quistis wanted desperately to console him with a reversal of her decision. She craved badly to find the strength to let him know that she'll be by his side no matter what happens. But she knew she couldn't, too painfully aware that she lacked such fortitude.

"Well, I guess I'll never look into the sun the same way again" The intruder echoed to draw the instructor's attention to the great orb rising from the horizon. 

Quistis looked up and squinted at the sun, consequently remembering the blissful tryst she shared with Hunter two nights ago. When she turned back, he was already gone. The morning elapsed quietly, bearing witness to the distraught instructor as she wept in quiet bitterness.

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Four days later, the instructor stood in full military attention, clad in her SeeD uniform, before an impromptu tribunal that was composed of Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer, his wife Edea, and the two leaders of Esthar and Galbadia, President Laguna Loire and General Richard Caraway. The court martial proceedings didn't take longer than everyone expected it to, catching the witnessing crowd slightly by surprise when Cid stood up to pronounce the tribunal's verdict.

Quistis remained stoic despite the anxious murmurs emanating from the spectator benches behind her. She knew that her friends were there, but she had no idea what they could possibly about at this moment. Even though her actions had been justified by the final demise of the soul devourer, she still wondered if they begrudged her for what she did to them, knowing that she didn't exactly take it easy on them. At least Zell must still be peeved as hell after the way she made him eat the ground. Fruits of the ludicrous idiosyncrasy that was called male ego, she unwittingly thought. She quickly dismissed the thought when the Headmaster started talking.

"Commander Trepe, this court found, influenced in no small way by the research performed by the Esthar Science Tribunal, that your actions, though categorically constituting desertion, was performed in the best interests of your mission and the personnel belonging to your current unit. Though you did incapacitate and abandon them within the duration of the task, you did in fact saved their lives en route to the eventual completion of the mission."

Quistis knew she should be proud. But somehow, she just felt empty. Even Cid's concealed but fond gaze didn't offset the hollowness she was feeling. 

"Off the record, you are an asset to this institution and a model that everyone should emulate. Put simply I wish Garden had more soldiers like you."

She acknowledged his words of praise with a subtle bat of her eyelashes.

"For the record, it is this court's decision to dismiss all counts of the charges of desertion, and therefore to clear your records of such charges immediately. Additionally, in recognition of the many years of loyal and dedicated service to Balamb Garden"

Cid momentarily paused, looking at Quistis as if asking for her to reconsider. She smiled lightly, followed by a faint shake of her head. Dejection was evident in the Headmaster's subsequent groan.

" It is likewise my decision to grant your request for resignation."

Resounding gasps filled the Garden courtroom as the multitude of SeeDs bearing witness was overcome by shock. They could hardly believe what they heard about the celebrated instructor's decision to leave Garden. And if Quistis had turned around, she would have seen the perplexed look in the faces of her friends. She would have been amazed to see that even Seifer had the same look of surprise on his face. Without saying a word, she took one step back before flashing the familiar SeeD salute. 

She had just stepped out of the courtroom when a frantic voice called on to her. Quistis turned around and saw Selphie running after her, followed by the rest of her teammates. Squall was conspicuously lagging behind.

"Quisty what did the Headmaster mean by you resigning?" The Trabian lass asked. The instructor simply smiled while kissing her on the cheek.

"I can't explain right now, but there's something that I have to do."

"But" Selphie pursued, but Quistis had already walked away. She hated to turn her back to one of her best friends but Quistis felt she had no choice. She didn't want to make this more painful than it already was.

The instructor's day was subsequently spent walking around the entire Garden complex. Her feet treaded lightly along the picturesque halls of the place she had been calling home during the last nine years. So much had happened here, so many things that she knew would take a long time for her to forget. And though some of them would rather be forgotten, she still chose to remember. Sometimes, things classified as painful from the outside could still serve as sweet remembrances of a girl's fabulous life in the company of the people she had grown to love. Some had hurt her and been the cause of her many disappointments. But such memories still proved far more priceless. There was no way she would even dream of forgetting them.

Quistis found herself by the hallway leading to the training center, triggering a string of memories of the events that transpired during the last four days. Four days that she spent listlessly wandering about, after her comrades found her outside the cave where she fought and defeated the soul reaper. She remembered the days being hollow and almost blank, devoid of the life that normally suffused her everyday routine. She recalled the nights that she spent inside her room, staring in that dark corner from where once there came out an intruder who introduced her to a whole different world and a whole new purpose in life. 

She wished for that same shadow to appear and take the form of the same intruder that she loved. She hoped ferociously for him to come into her world once more. She missed him so much, and there was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do to have him back. 

But didn't she turn her back on him just when he needed her most? Didn't she tell him that she wasn't strong enough to face the challenge that fates had posed against them? Yes, she did. Quistis knew this only too well. And right now, there was nothing else that she wanted more than to be given another chance to rectify her mistake. She had made too many mistakes in her life. And after realizing how much the dark knight meant to her, she resolved to not make this one count as such. Even if she had to watch him die

It didn't matter. Watching him live within her breath and touch, even for a limited time, was more than enough recompense.

Quistis remembered the night before, and smiled with a sweet flash in her eyes. Her left hand then pulled something out from her pocket. It was a note she found tucked in the mesh grill covering the ventilation opening in her room. The message scribbled in it was utterly plain

_"I have a small cottage just outside of Dollet"_

It was time for her to move on.


	23. Epilogue

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Queen of Souls

By Soul Hunter

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**EPILOGUE**

A cracking sound echoed in the air when he landed the sharp edge of his ax hard against the tree trunk lying horizontally on the dewy ground before him. Sweat made his steely body glisten under the brilliance of the rising sun over the city of Dollet that had just begun its daily activities. It was merely twenty degrees outside but he wasn't wearing anything other than work trousers and boat shoes. Hunter had grown used to enduring immense cold from his past survival training, and even had the gall to sweat despite the near-freezing temperatures. He ran an arm over his forehead to wipe the clear beads rolling down from it. 

He paused for a brief rest, noting the rising pile of firewood beside him. As he trained his eyes at the top of the pile, he noticed a shape in the background that seemed out of place. He raised his look and was subsequently surprised by the sight that met him. Hunter almost couldn't believe his eyes, and didn't know whether how to react when he saw the girl garbed with the familiar vermilion blouse, brown arm straps and boots, black hand gloves, the clip that held together her blonde hair at the back of her head, and the light-pink frame of the glasses that covered her magnificent, sapphire eyes.

"You look surprised." Quistis said while brandishing the note she found in her room. "Like you're actually not expecting me to come."

"I wasn't" Hunter replied. "I just didn't know what came over me when I left that note I only wanted to see you when I dropped by."

"I see"

"So notwithstanding that note what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh I'm trying to cure my sleep disorder." Quistis shot back, confusing him.

"Sleep disorder?"

"Yeah It's a bit amazing but I realized I'm not used to sleeping without you by my side anymore." The glistening on Quistis' eyes was already evident despite the glasses. "And I become very cranky when I don't get enough sleep."

It didn't take much for Hunter to understand. All he knew was the culmination of a wish he had been uttering repeatedly during the last four days of feeling wrong about everything he did. No matter how much he insisted otherwise, the intruder knew that his life would never be the same again without the instructor. Ever since the day they parted, his mind had no other thoughts but the wish for her to come back and make everything right.

The world of wrongs disappeared the moment he saw her standing in front of him.

"Quisty," He returned, "You know there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you. But you know of my condition... and there are no guarantees of anything. I I could die tomorrow. So what then?"

"Hunter" She replied, her tears rolling down her face. "All I know is a little while ago someone told me that if I truly love someone, I could survive a hundred years without the company of family, friends and loved ones but I won't last even a single day without him"

" Quisty"

"I couldn't stand one more day without you"

"And if if I die?"

"Then let me be the last you'll ever see and the first to cry for you"

There were no words left to be said at that point. And the world stood still as the dark knight held his queen.

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THE END


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